Project brief: Miroslav Krleza was one of the greatest, most published and most “serious” Croatian writers, and his books were usually treated equally “seriously” with a leather cover and gold-stamped title. One Thousand and One Deaths is a slightly ironic title (a kind of opposite of One Thousand and One Nights, as Krleza conceived it) for a book of novels dealing with themes of death, suicide and murder. The editor wanted to step away from the usual treatment of Krleza’s books and move to a more contemporary visual.

Approach: The cover we created is an ironic interpretation of this dark subject, using a beautiful anatomical illustration of a human skull with a black ribbon that rolls around the whole book and carries the title and publisher’s logo with a contemporary typography. Opposed to these dark elements is the bright, pink background. The whole composition is very simple, effective and eye-catching, intended to stand out in bookstores with its striking and provocative appearance.

Effectiveness: It really was a success: it sold out and the publisher is considering a second run.

So excited about the unexpected pink on a book about death.