‘Nothing like this has been done before for Bond’: Behind the design of the stunning new James Bond book covers

James Bond covers
(Image credit: Ian Fleming Publications)

Few franchises feature a design language as iconic that of the James Bond series. For over 60 years the films (and their marketing materials) have combined the spirit of the ‘60s with the present, reinventing the core tropes of, as Sheryl Crow aptly sings in Tomorrow Never Dies, ‘martinis, girls and guns’. But of course, as well as films, there are also the 14 original Bond books penned by Ian Fleming that kicked things off from 1953. And the novels’ design history is just as storied as that of their cinematic counterparts. 

One of the most beloved collections of Bond covers landed in 2008. Created by artist Michael Gillette, these watercolour paintings featured brightly coloured iconic ‘Bond women’ and bold title typography. And now, Gillette has returned to the 007 series with a brand new collection of covers, rendered in a completely different style. 

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Daniel John
Design Editor

Daniel John is Design Editor at Creative Bloq. He reports on the worlds of art, design, branding and lifestyle tech (which often translates to tech made by Apple). He joined in 2020 after working in copywriting and digital marketing with brands including ITV, NBC, Channel 4 and more.