Anisotropic molecules, whose shape deviates significantly from spherical, are hugely important in many technologies. In many cases, such molecules can form orientationally ordered liquidcrystal phases that can be controlled by temperature or concentration, and are the basis of a multi-billion dollar display industry, with an extensive history dating back to the late nineteenth century. Additionally, organic molecules with extended π-conjugation, many of which form liquid-crystal phases, have been shown to display interesting opto-electronic properties, and devices based on these organic semiconductors (OSCs) are growing in importance as their performance improves. As important electronic processes often happen in the vicinity of interfaces, controlling the alignment of molecules at these interfaces is important for optimising the performances of OSC-based devices and liquid-crystal displays (LCDs). Due to the anisotropic shape of these molecules, symmetry breaking at both solid and vapour interfaces often leads to a preferred orientation, even when the bulk phase is isotropic. This interface alignment has broad implications for device performance.