39 Stunning & Creative Facebook Timeline Cover Photos

Timeline has been compulsory for all brands for 10 days now and love it or hate it, it’s something we’ve all got to work with. Some brands have thrown up random photos for the cover image while others have taken a more thoughtful approach. We’ve checked out literally hundreds of Facebook pages and compiled what we think to be the most beautiful, stunning, unique and creative Facebook cover photos.

It’s interesting to note that one theme that many brands are going for is a retro feel. McDonalds and Air France have both included a retro cover photo but they are not alone with many other companies opting for something similar. Another common design element is the integration of the logo space with the main cover photo.

So without further ado, here are the 39 cover photos that we believe have gone above and beyond the ordinary. Note: this list is not exhaustive, so if you think we missed some really awesome cover photos, let us know in the comments below.

1. Virgin Atlantic

The cover photo from Virgin Atlantic is my personal favourite so I’ve included it first. With a creative collage making up the Union Jack flag (when you squint your eyes), Virgin are highlighting their British roots while at the same time making it in to a billboard to visit Britain. It’s like the air hostess is saying: Here’s what’s on offer when you come to visit us. Absolutely amazing job, Virgin!

2. Smirnoff

Check out this for imagination. The designer has taken the logo and cover photo integration concept and turned it in to something completely unique. The hand reaching out to grab the bottle gives the whole cover photo a sense of depth to draw you in. How long until we see other brands copying this concept?

3. Chase Community Giving

The CSR page for Chase bank and what a fantastically creative cover photo they have. The designer has turned the logo area in to a balloting box which helps to reinforce the idea that this is a place where fans help to choose which charities to support.

4. Dunkin Donuts

I almost overlooked this one until I noticed that they update the cover photo each week with a photo of the fan of the week. Nice! Get your fans involved and give them the opportunity to claim their 15 minutes of fame; a great way to build a connection, trust and engagement with your customers.

5. Sony

What a job Sony has done here to create a vibrant photo that combines real people and animated characters. This cover photo has real personality that makes you pause and check out all the hidden details. Why is there one man in the middle who seems to have been taken by surprise? Did he switch on the latest Sony tablet?

6. Geico Insurance

Simple, but creative use of the logo box, Geico don’t need to tell the world that they do auto insurance, the little gecko does that for them!

7. Converse

While other shoe brands are showcasing their latest footwear, Converse has gone for a grungey collage of photos showcasing people wearing their shoes.

8. Coca Cola

Is the bottle dreaming? The bubbles fizzing out the bottle certainly makes it look that way. It also ties in well with Coke’s slogan of “Open Happiness”.

9. Ferrari

OK, it’s not completely unique but it is jaw-droppingly beautiful and frankly we couldn’t not include it! Is it me or does it look like a cobra snake with those headlights and wide mouth?

10. GAP

Gap went through a rebranding disaster last year but they seem to be back to their marketing best with this colourful cover photo. Creative use of people, can you spot the hidden meaning in the photo?

11. McDonalds

A number of brands have gone for a retro cover photo but none is more striking than this one from McDonalds. The first burger joint, a 50’s classic, we’re loving the cars as much as the Golden Arches.

12. Burger King

Wow, if I could eat a photo then this would be the one I’d eat first. Not a burger in sight and you’d never guess it was Burger King if it didn’t have the logo.

13. Walmart

An evocative collage to emphasize the brand values of Walmart. What do you take away from this image? I see a family orientated brand that’s happy to help, has your health in mind and is easy on your pocket.

14. Adidas

What I love about this photo is that while there are famous sports people (can you name them all?), the main attraction is the normal people that use Adidas equipment everyday.

15. Thomas Cook

Where do you want to go today? That’s the question this cover photo begs and is a break from the norm of tranquil paradise beaches that other travel sites use. Can you name the location in the bottom left photo?

16. Tata Nano

The Nano is a technological wonder developed in India by Tata. A family car that costs just over $2,000, it has empowered a whole section of society. This cover image is a fantastic representation of the story behind this innovative car.

17. Renault

A nice collage of photos was created by Renault to celebrate crossing 200,000 fans. That said, we’re not sure if fan numbers is what they should be focusing on, however, it’s a great cover photo!

18. BP America

How much corporate branding can you fit in to one cover photo? BP America’s page attempts to push the envelope focusing on their green and environmental credentials along with their investment in people.

19. The New York Times

love the fact that the cover photo focuses on the journalists that make The New York Times the world leading newspaper that it is. The story behind this photo is that two leading investigative journalists received Pulitzer Prizes for their work in 2008.

20. Kodak

One of the cutest cover photos I came across, Kodak has done a great job with this. Where other camera manufacturers have high quality photos this one really emphasizes that Kodak is for people like you and me who want good everyday photos.

21. Visa

Visa are highlighting their Olympic credentials by focusing on the athletes that make the games such a spectacle. I love this cover photo because it’s focusing on people rather than selling the dream of easy money by purchasing on a credit card.

22. Samsung Mobile

Samsung has drawn inspiration from other cover photos by making their logo space a part of the main cover photo. Maybe they could have made the cell phone be taking a photo of so you have a photo within a photo.

23. Procter & Gamble

Check out what P&G has done with their cover photo and logo space. A great photo that reinforces P&G’s family values and innovative use of the cover/logo space.

24. JetBlue

Do you think they want to highlight the fact that they are blue? This modern collage is a stylish take on collages produced by other companies for their cover photo.

25. Starbucks

They are the stars of social media so naturally they know a thing or two about making great cover photos too. In this cover photo, Starbucks showcase the worthy CSR causes their staff are involved with.

26. Heineken

Heineken has gone all out to make their cover photo look more like a movie poster, one of the only brands I found to take this approach. It’s a great design and goes way beyond a basic collage.

27. Make My Trip

Another cover photo from an Indian based online travel company. Although collages like this were popular a couple of years ago, this is the only example we could find being used as a Facebook cover photo.

28. Visit Britain

The British coastline has some amazing landscapes (I’m British, I need to say that!) and the designer of this cover photo has paired it with the logo to create one beautiful image.

29. Nokia

Interestingly Nokia has chosen a rather grungy cover photo with a logo integration. We all know that everyone ends up in the kitchen of house parties, are Nokia saying that they are where the conversation is?

30. iTunes

A collage of music albums, what could be better? I’m guessing the designer was a David Guetta fan since the album features 5 times in this single image.

31. Axe

I almost didn’t include this until I noticed the photo bomb style logo space with the guy holding up two cans of Axe! Nicely done, Axe team.

32. Old Spice

What a cover photo! Old Spice has put a lot of thought in to this one, right down to the logo space integration that has Old Spice himself. It’s a cover photo you can’t ignore.

33. Dr Pepper

One of the best examples of creative cover photos that I’ve seen while trawling through hundreds of Facebook pages. I’d be interested in finding out where they got all the photos from, are they fan photos, photos taken from DP events or just random made up ones to be processed in to this complex collage?

34. Crest

Smile! That’s what will happen when you see this beautifully designed cover photo collage with seamless integration with the logo. So much better than just showing off your products.

35. AT&T

An interesting collage from AT&T although I’m not too sure about what it’s trying to say, any idea? Lots of open spaces, lots of blue. Regardless, it’s a whole lot better than sticking a corporate marketing slogan up there.

36. Verizon

Not sure who took inspiration from who as Verizon’s cover photo looks similar to AT&T’s but it’s a good creative effort. It seems to me that they are trying to represent freedom while at the same time indicating that their network connects anywhere, from the wilderness to the concrete jungles.

37. Air France

Another brand using retro photos, it seems to be the popular thing to do at the moment. Air France has combined vintage with modern to create this interesting and eye catching cover photo.

38. Hard Rock

Mmm, food good enough to eat. Hard Rock has gone for a simple cover photo but the styling makes it stand out. With a 50’s diner feel to it, it evokes visions of great tasting food with great service.

39. Ben & Jerry’s

What’s not to like about this cover photo. There’s no need for marketing slogans or messages, if you can’t guess the brand from the cover photo alone then you are not a Ben & Jerry’s fan. A great drawing that gives the Facebook page unique character.

So that’s my top 39 creative cover photos. I know I have missed some so if you think there are some that should be included in this list, tell me the URL in the comments below and I’ll check it out. If I think it’s worthy of being in this rather exclusive list then I’ll add it.