Espion le EP
Vinyl album packaging design
Agency: 360 Creative
Client: Espionnage
This 2024 reissue for Espionnage is an evolution of the industrial/utilitarian aesthetic I established for the label in the early 2000s. The design is a physical realization of a cryptographic wordmark: the title - based on a modified Helvetica Extended with custom rounded details - is split onto two distinct layers. The full message is only “decoded” when the user physically aligns the packaging components.
The use of Pantone fluorescent orange ink serves as a direct link to the original CD and vinyl sticker, maintaining brand equity across two decades of the label’s history.
Conceptual genesis
This vinyl reissue builds on the original layering principle I developed for the 2000 CD release. By fragmenting the custom Espion wordmark across two layers of tracing paper, the project name remains encrypted in its disassembled state. The full title is only legible through the superimposition of the translucent substrates.
As the lead art director, I managed the maîtrise d’œuvre for the entire manufacturing pipeline, coordinating between the music distribution label and the vinyl factory. I ensured the technical alignment of five distinct components:
PVC Screen-printed Sleeve
Fluorescent Card Sleeve
Outer Branding Sticker
Inner Liner Notes Sleeve
Center Labels
