The Metal Box packaging designed by Dennis Morris was innovative and inexpensive, costing little more to the label than the cost of standard printed sleeves for equivalent 12” releases (although Virgin did ask for a refund of 1/3 of the band’s advance due to the cost). Before the metal tin was finalized, there was discussion of the album being released in a sandpaper package that would effectively ruin the sleeve art of any records shelved next to it.

- Wikipedia on Public Image Ltd.’s album Metal Box.

I think this is just genius. Plus, a year later the idea was actually used for The Durutti Column’s The Return of the Durutti Column.