Student Ancillary Analysis

Imagine Dragons - AlbumThis student designed album cover is effective as it gives a clear representation of the genre as well as having a clear link to the band and so therefore showing brand identity as it links to the poster well. The colours are very typical compared to other Imagine Dragon albums and artwork and this ensures that the audience know that it is their album. The fonts and the artwork used (the triangular shapes) are again much like professionally done albums which shows the high quality of the student work. The artwork represents the genre of the band well due to the visuals and colours used as it creates a relatively surreal and thought provoking piece of media which is commonly the case with this genres song lyrics – the genre being dream pop/indie pop. The album features all the typical requirements of CD cases which range from the album name to copyright information. This allows there to be a well done piece of student work which shows the necessary features. From the album I like the brand identity it conveys through the use of colours, imagery and font however this may cause issue as it is very similar if not the same as what the actual band uses and this therefore suggest that they have not been inventive and creative in their ideas as they have taken already used work and applied it to their own. Therefore for this reason this piece of work may hold issues surrounding copyright content. Alongside the striking imagery, the font on the front of the album is what stands out the most due to the bold, white choice of text which shows that the artist name is the most significant thing on the album. This makes it clear to the target audience that this is the album of the band and that it stands out against the vast selection out there. The layout on the back of the album is very straight forward and simple and this allows for easy viewing and so makes it readable for the masses. The inside cover features a slight blurb of the album but also has a smartcode and this shows technological convergence and how new media and technology has entered and is being used across many platforms of the media world.

Imagine Dragons - Advert

This advert for the Imagine Dragons album is very similar to the album which shows their to be a clear brand identity and relation between the two pieces of media. The advert contains all of the information you would expect and so this ensures that it is clear to the target audience the release date, the name of the album and artist and also the record label. In this advert there is also a review which helps there to be a clear rating for the audience to interpret. The fonts used are very bold which makes it clear and readable for the audience. The fonts used in particular are quite indie and are ‘chunky’ which relates that the genre is quite fun and possibly easy-going. The ad also contains two websites and a smartcode which shows how new technologies are being incorporated into older media formats. The main image used on this advert is the same as the front of the album which again shows the audience the links between the two, creating brand identity and artist promotion. Overall between the two there is a strong link which ensures that there is a clear distinction that the advert is advertising the specific album and it represents the band’s genre and what style their music is. The brand identity is strong between the final products though there may be some questionable features which may infringe copyright issues. With this in mind though it is a very effective piece of work which does what it is supposed to.

Canopy Climbers - AlbumThis student work for the Canopy Climbers has a clear and distinguishable style which represents the genre well. Their genre is dream/indie pop which is visible from the colours and visuals shown in the album art. The outside features a relaxing purple colour which varies in shades and tones at different areas. On top of this main colour there is an image which is a brand identity for the band as it is featured across the album in various places as well as on the advert. This image also features the purple colours which signifies this is important to the album. The font of the album name is relatively small compared to the artist name shown and though it is not bold it does stand out against the darker background. The artist name featured is however both large and bold and this gives a clear indication that band is well known within the genre. On the reverse the track listing is simplistic laid out and this makes it easy to follow and read. The same font is used throughout for all of the text which makes this album seem quite simplistic and stripped back which is a representation of the genre and what it stands for, giving out subtle messages. The barcode on the back is quite big, much like the size of the record label which shows these to be significant pieces of information. The copyright text however is not and this ensures that it is not distracting the audience from seeing the main visuals and makes sure that the reverse of the album is not ruined by these words. The inside cover features a mix of high and low key lighting as the main images shown are to do with the theme of fire as is shown by the sparkler and tree on fire. These may be direct references to the music video itself and so this hides a message which will become relevant within the music and song lyrics perhaps. I like this student work as it clearly identifies the genre of the band and it has a simplistic layout and design which represents the genre well.

Canopy Climbers - AdvertThe advert for the ‘Stuck’ album matches the album itself well due to the same use of colours, fonts, titles and imagery. This creates a clear link between the two for the audience which enables there to be a clear distinction as to what it is advertising. It has the necessary information such as the release date and album and artist name and this shows that they have followed the typical conventions which shows a good piece of media. This advert also has an advertisement for a shop in which the album will become available to buy at which suggests that it’s available ins tore at the date shown. These little details add to the realism to ensure that the media piece is an effective piece of work. The reviews on the advert also help to sell the product to the consumers which helps as an effective piece of marketing as they are making effective use of the space provided for the advert. All in all I think this is an effective piece of media as it does what is required and establishes a clear brand identity for the artist all at the same time whilst providing a clear selling point for the artist and providing artist promotion.

Taylor Swift - AlbumA first look at this student made Taylor album and the specific demographics of the target audience are clear. It is evident from the imagery and colours used that it appeals more so to a female audience though it does also hint at the genre of the music. The imagery shows the artist which represents artist promotion and it also allows there to be artist promotion to be carried across to the poster as similar images are used. There is a clever use of colours used on the piece as the font colour matches the name of the album which opens opportunities for creativeness which have been fulfilled. The main images are in black and white which is quite significant for this artist as her albums are usually colourful and stand out. This may relate to the genre and the usual topics that her songs cover within this particular album. The inside cover however features a colourful and girly flower image which simply writes “thank you” which for the audience is giving something back as it makes the album that bit more personal. This shows that the artist cares for her fans and is appreciative for them. The back features a simple list layout for the songs which works well for the album however for me I personably am not a fan due to the colours almost clashing as I find it somewhat hard to read. However with this I like the album on the whole as it represents the artist well and shows signs of what she is like and what topics may be covered in her songs.

Taylor Swift - Advert The advertisement poster for the ‘Red’ album is a good example of an effective piece of student work as it highlights the important information due to the overall choice of colours. The image in the background is in black and white whilst the text is in red which makes it stand out ad this is effective as it is what the audience are most likely to notice and takeaway from the advert as it is bold and stands out. There is a clear album name which is featured under the artist name and this in particular is appealing to the TA as the artist name is almost in a handwritten font which again adds individualism to the advert and this relates back to the idea of the thank you message from the album itself. The image features the artist again which shows a clear sign at artist promotion however I am not a fan of it due to there being a use of two different images and there is a visible line where they do not match up. In conclusion this piece is much like the last as it includes the required information such as when it is available and the record label.

Conclusion In conclusion to the evaluation of these pieces of work it is evident that the typical conventions of both the digipack and advert have been followed though there are certain creative aspects which makes each piece stand out and show clear brand identity and something which is relative to both the artist and the genre of music. The colours used are a key indicator to the giving an insight to the artist and may replicate the genre which helps to the audience to identify this. Other aspects such as fonts and imagery are also key in ensuring this as it helps to promote the artist as well as the genre.