Planning magazine advert - Miss Miller.

A magazine advert plays a vital role in the promotional campaign for an album. Creating a magazine advert allows an artist to get their album out to the fans, this makes them more aware of the product and there is more chance that they will purchase it. Furthermore a magazine advert allows the target audience to gain an insight into what may be included in the album such as songs and special features, this will create hype surrounding the album which is benifical for the artist. I will be creating a magazine advert for Sub Focus' album to make the target audience aware of the album. Planning is essential when it comes to making this magazine advert because I need to know what needs to be included on the advert to make it effective in targeting the audience.

The colours that I have chosen to include in my magazine advert are bright, these include orange, yellow and pink. I have chose these colours as they are bright and make the advert stand out, this will attract the audience as it is eye catching. Furthermore the bright and edgy colours represent the target audience and genre of the album and also look like strobe lights which are heavily related to the dance genre. This is likely to therefore persuade the target audience into buying the album as they can see that it is directly aimed towards them. This also means that the magazine advert is related to the dance genre, which will make it more effective in appealing to the target audience. The magazine advert is therefore conventional to the dance genre, which is good as the album is a very conventuional album.

There are minimal images on the magazine advert I have created. I researched the dance genre and found that there were not a lot of images on the adverts. As a result of this I decided to include minimal images in my advert. This meant that my advert was conventional to the dance genre and would therefore attract the eye of dance fans as they can see that it belongs to the dance genre. However I did include one small image of a clock next to the single name "Turn Back Time". I did this as it is a symbolises the song, this is somethong that will appeal to the target audience.

The layout for an advert is important in order to catch the eye. It is important that the advert is not cluttered with information as it could put someone off reading it. I decided to layout my main title "Sub Focus" at the bottom of the advert. I felt that this was the best position for the artists name as it allows space on the rest of the advert for the rest of the information. I also feel that placing the title at the bottom makes it clear to see for the readers and also does not interfere with the main images on the magazine advert. By not cluttering my advertisement with images of the artist it means that the advert conforms to the dance genre; keeping the design and layout simple yet bold. Furthermore through placing minimal images on my advert it means there is more room for other important information that will make the audience purchase the product, such as the album release date. 

The typography used in a magazine advert is also important. The typography helps catch the eye of the target audience and also can represent the artist themselves. I have chosen a bold and original typography in my magazine advert, as I feel it stands out well and therefore will attract the target audience to read the advert and therefore the chances of them purchasing the album is increased. I have also chosen this typography as I feel it reflects the artist "sub focus" well as they are very bold and original in the sense that they are conventional to the dance genre. The typography in the advert I have created is also all capital letters, again this makes the writing bold and therefore it is more likely to attract someones eye.  The album name "Turn Back Time" on the advertisement are in capital letters to symbolize the importance of the information, this is emphasized by the bold text  which makes it stand out even more. The use of bold typography implies that the music on the album is also very bold, which is stereotypical of the house genre, the music is very upbeat and exciting which mirrors the layout, design and colours used on the advert. 

The language used in a magazine advert is vital in persuading the audience to purchase the product itself. I kept the writing limited on my advert as I didn't want to overcrowd it as I felt it could deter an audience. However I included the phrase "number one album" and "number one single", as I felt it was important to inform the audience how well the album did in this charts. I believe this will mean they are more likely to purchase the album as they can see how good it is. The artists name in this advert is included as "Sub Focus" which informs the audience who the product is by and will urge them to buy it. In my actual magazine advert I will be changing the artists name to a name that me and my group have come up with. I decided not to include a personal message to the artists fans on this magazine advert. I made this decision as I believe that it keeps the advert conventional to the dance genre as you don't usually see dance artists communicating with their audience. Furthermore it keeps my artist mysterious, which will urge that audience to want to find out more about him and therefore purchase his product. 

The connotations of the magazine advert I created is that the album is going to be lively, upbeat and make people feel good. These connotations are made from the use of a variety of bright colours which boldly connotes the nature of the album, This is likely to persuade a consumer to purchase the product as they can see that the album is likely to make them feel good. It would also specifically appeal to the eye of dance genre fans as the bright colours connote that it is from the dance genre.  There is also a spectrum of light on the magazine advert, this connotes that the artist is very dynamic and versatile. This will appeal to the target audience as these are desirable qualities, and make them want to purchase the album. Further connotations that come from the advert are that the artist and his music is powerful, this can be seen by the use of the colour black and the bold typography, this conforms the dance genre as the target audience are more interested with the music than the artist. 

To conclude, the research i took into a magazine advert was very helpful as it enabled me to see how artists appeal to their target audience and get there albums out there. This has helped me in creating my own magazine advert. I feel that the magazine advert that I have created is very successful in appealing to the target audience. The use of bright colouring makes the advert very conventional to the dance genre which means it will appeal to fans of the genre. I also feel that the minimal amount of images that I have used makes the advert conventional to the genre as you don't see dance artists cluttering their work with images. This also creates a mysterious image surrounding the artist, making the target audience want to find out more about him.

Digipak analysis - Miss Miller.

The purpose of a digipak is to give the target audience and fans a further insight into the music artist. The digipak provides the fans with detailed information about the artist and album itself, this can include how the album was made and also the lyrics to some of the songs. A digipak is seen of being a much more exclusive product than a usual jeweled CD case as it provides the audience with a greater insight into the artist. Giving the audience the option to purchase a digipak allows them to feel although they are buying into the lifestyle of the artist. I have chosen to analyse David Guetta's digipak as I could not find one for Sub Focus. I chose David Guetta as he is from the same genre as my artist and I can therefore apply his digipak to my artist. 

In this digipak David Guetta is being represented as a cool artist. This representation is created through him wearing sunglasses, this portrays him as being an artist who is up to date with the latest fashion trends, making him appealing to the target audience. Furthermore the image of him on the front cover depicts to the audience that he is laid back as he does not look like he is posing for the picture. The artist isn't facing the camera in the image which shows he is mid action, and trying to leave some aspects of his image hidden from the audience, urging the audience to purchase the product so that he can reveal himself more. He is also being represented as a stereotypical DJ as DJ's often wear sunglasses when they do their sets to protect their eyes from the strobe lights, this allows the target audience to clearly see that the artist and product is from the dance genre and it will therefore attract fans of the genre. As already established there is only one image on the digipak, this is quite unconventional for any artist as digipaks often come with the advantage of displaying the artist through more and better quality images. However, here there is only one image which could be seen as a disadvantage, but some would argue that is shows that the artist does not want to be mainstream by over populating his digipak with images to show himself off.  The choice of clothing worn by the artist are very basic and simple; a basic t-shirt and glasses makes it easy and simple for the target audience and fans to imitate the look of the artist and dress like him themselves. This also will appeal to the target audience as it shows that the artist is very much alike them so they can therefore relate to him more. The image of the artist is in the colour grey, again this means that he is hiding some of his identity to the audience which urges them to find out more about him. 

The connotations of this digipak is that the artist is making happy and upbeat music. This is connoted through the use of bright colours such as red and yellow which are related to happiness. This connotation is likely to persuade the audience to purchase the album as the feel good factor is a strong convention of the dance genre. Furthermore the black and white colouring surrounding the artist connotes that David Guetta is attempting to be original. The colour gold used on the front cover also connotes the sense of being rich or wealthy, suggesting that the artist is successful and their music will be enjoyable because of his success as an artist; these connotations encourage audiences to purchase the product as to see what would be on the album. Again this connotation makes the artist appealing to the target audience as they can aspire to be as successful and wealthy as him. Furthermore the digipak includes two discs which is unusual as they normally include one. From this the audience can connote a number of things, such as the artist is so successful that he needs two discs to put his songs on. It also allows the audience to feel although they are getting more for their money.

The layout of the digipak is simple, as it includes the basic content of a digipak and is not cluttered with information. There is the front cover, the disc holders and a track list for both CDs on the back. This implies a form of sophistication which would appeal to an older audience. The layout is fun and bright due to the use of colours but it doesn't come across as childish because of its simple, stylish layout. The product also stays conventional by including a track list on the back of the digipak, providing the audience with a list of songs which will be on the album. The tracklist is clear and easily recognisable on this digipak which is important as it is what will persuade the audience to purchase the digipak. Also we can see that the artist is not positioned centrally on the front cover of this digipak, this is not what you would expect to see. This shows that the artist is going against the conventions and attempting to be different, Futhermore this shows that the artist does not want to be the main focal point of the cover and would rather let his music take the main stage.

The typography used in a digipak plays a very important role in attracting people to purchase the product. The typography used in this digipak consists of the artists name and album name. For the artists name we can see that he has used a recogniasable font that is often related to himself, this makes it more recognisable for the audience and they can easily see that the digipak belongs to him. The font he has used for his name is also somewhat diverse as the "A" is missing the arch. This informs the audience that the artist is attempting to be diverse and therefore means that he is conforming to the dance genre which will attract dance fans. The other typography is evident in the title of the album. The choice of font here matches the dance music genre, it is writing in a graffiti style which also matches the artist image on the digipak which is meant to be 'cool', this encourages buyers of the product as they will feel they own a cool product ultimately making themselves slightly 'cooler' by listening to the album and consuming the artist's products. Futhermore it also allows a potential consumer to identify that the album belongs to the dance genre. 

The digipak that I have analysed does not belong to the artist that I have based my project around, however analysing it has helped me develop my understanding of digipaks and how they attract an audience. I will take inspiration from the artist image that has been created within this digipak, attempting to create a cool image surrounding my artists through the use of imagery. In this digipak its also clear that the dance music genre keeps a lot a mystery from the target audience to encourage them to buy the product. If the artist does unconventionally feature on the digipak, I will use dark colours, glasses or positioning to make sure not too much is revealed and keep the audience wanting to find out more. 

Magazine advert analysis - Miss Miller.

A magazine album adverts purpose is to get the album out to the target audience and persuade them to buy it. The advert uses several devices in order to achieve this purpose, these include: representation of artist, connotations of the advert, colours, design/layout and images. I will be analysing two magazine adverts from the dance genre and discuss how they achieve there purpose. The first magazine advert I will be analysing is Examples album "Won't Go Quietly". The second advert I will be analysing is Basement Jaxx "Rooty". I have chosen both of these adverts as I feel they will benefit me most when it comes to creating my own album advert as they are from the same genre as my artist.

Example - Won't Go Quietly

The artist representation in this magazine advert is important in persuading the target audience to purchase the album. Here, Example has been portrayed to the audience as a controversial artist through the title "Won't Go Quietly", therefore suggesting that Example is an artist who is different and trying to make a name for himself. Furthermore we can see several images of Example in which he is wearing unusual clothing such as a bear outfit, this suggests to the audience that Example is a unique artist and not afraid to be diverse. This will attract members of his target audience as they can see that he is likely to stand out in his genre. Through using the combination of clothing and the title it allows the audience to clearly recognise which genre that the magazien advert is from. For example the title is what attracts them first to the magazine advert and then when they take a more detailed look at the images they are further attracted to purchase the album as they can see it is unique and from the dance genre.

The connotations of this album advert are clear to see. The album title "Won't Go Quietly" connotes to the audience that Example is planning on making a name for himself and staying around in the genre for a long time. Furthermore the connotations of the artists stage name "Example" are that he is setting the example for the rest of the artists in his genre, meaning that he sets the ball mark. Furthermore it portrays the artist as being an idol for the target audience as he is "Example". This will attract the audience into purchasing the album as they appeal to the artist and feel that purchasing the album allows them to join the artists lifestyle.

The colours used in this advert are mostly white and black. These colours are effective as they are bold and stand out, this means that it is likely to grab the audiences attention. Furthermore the colours black and white connote that the album is going to be bold and stand out. The other colours that are used in this advert are on the clothes that the artist is wearing such as red and orange, this means that he is therefore likely to stand out against the plain background and the audiences attention is therefore drawn to him. The use of colours in this magazine advert promote the artist effectively therefore as he stands out, meaning that the audience can see that the album belongs to him and fans of the artist will therefore purchase the album.

The design and layout of this album advert is unique as you would usually expect to see one main image of the artist that stands out, however in this case there are a variety of smaller images of the artist. Although this means the artist does not stand out as much, it demonstrates that he is going against conventions and attempting to be diverse. This is something that is likely to attract the target audience as the dance genre is often seen as being diverse. The layout of the font is is at the top of the advert and the bottom, I believe this is well placed as it means that the target audience are able to see the title easily and it also allows room for the main images. Finally the names of the singles in the album are placed at the bottom of the advert, this allows people who may take a deeper look at the advert to see songs that will be featured in the album and if they recognise them they may be persuaded to purchase it.

The images used in this advert have been chosen well. We can see several images of the artist, this informs the audience who the album belongs to and if they are a fan of his they may choose to buy the album. There is one image of Example holding a microphone and shouting down it, this links in well with the title of the album "Won't Go Quietly" and means that the images are related to the album. We also see a lot of diverse imagery in this advert, such as Example wearing a crash helmet, although this is not related to the genre it shows that he is attempting to be diverse and this may attract people to purchase the product.

The typography used in this advert is bold as the artists name and album title are written in a thick font. This means that the advert will grab readers attention and they will therefore be more likely to buy the product. The font in this advert is also written in black and white, this keeps a consistency and makes the album look professional as well as original. 

This album advert promotes the dance genre and the artist as being diverse through the use of different images used. The variety of strange costumes we see Example wearing in this advert enables us to see him and the dance genre as being unique. It also promotes the genre as standing out through the album title "Won't Go Quietly", suggesting that the dance genre is made up of artists who want to be bold and make a name for themselves. 

This album advert attracts its audience in a variety of ways. It relies on its bold and original typography in order to catch the eye of readers. This is likely to entice them to further examine the advert and then the diverse imagery and which stands out against the plain background attracts an audience who is appealed by diversity.

Summary:
I believe that this advert is successful in presenting the artist Example as a diverse artist. I can see this as the artist is shown in many diverse outfits and I believe that this is effective as it makes the artist stand out among others and the artist can therefore recognise him more easily. However I believe that the advert is not very successful in showing that the album belongs to the dance genre. In my opinion the colours used are too bland to make the advert look like it is from the dance genre. I think it is important for an album to look like it is from its genre as this is what attracts the target audience. As a result of this I will not be taking any inspirations in terms of colour from this magazine advert. However I will take inspiration from the bold font that is used to make the artists name and album name stand out and appeal to the target audience.

Basement Jaxx - Rooty

The representation of the artist in this album advert is not easy to see as the artist them self have not been included on the cover. However, the use of the unique images in this advert suggests that the artists is representing themselves as being diverse much like Example did in his album. This diverse representation is something that is likely to appeal to the target audience as it means the artist is differentiating from the normality and therefore making them self more appealing.

The use of the space image in the background of this album advert connotes to the target audience that the artist is 'out of this world' and therefore head and shoulders above the rest. This connotation will persuade the audience to buy the product as it is a positive connotation. Furthermore we can see a main image of a Gorilla in this advert, which is often referred to as the king of the jungle, therefore connoting that the artist is the king of their genre.  The images are almost abnormal, which is connotation you may also associate to the sounds within dance music. The amusing images and colours also suggests that the content of the album doesn't include emotional and serious content but the conventional exciting and uplifting dance music, appealing to the target audience.

The colours that are used in this album advert are bright such as pink and yellow. These luminous colours make the advert stand out and catch the eye of the target audience as well as suggesting that the artist are bright and edgy. The bright colours used also contrast well with the black background and make the font which is written in yellow and green stand out. These bright colours that have been used help display that the artist is from the dance genre as this genre is often related to bright luminous colours. This therefore makes the advert conventional to its genre. The abstract affect of the colour also indicates the abstract sound that would be involved within the album; linking to the electro house genre which consists of computerised abstract sounds.The fact that there is a dark background which is of a night sky indicates the atmosphere and setting that the music is often listened to. Dance music is usually referenced to the night time, when the taret audience would attend a club. It appeals to the target audience and the use of bright colours attracts newer audiences which would become interested and intrigued with the album.

The design and layout in this album advert works well, the artists name "Basement Jaxx" is positioned well at the top of the advert making it stand out and attract fans of the artist. The album name is also positioned very cleverly just below the main image which means that readers attention will be attracted to the name of the album after they have seen the main image. The main image is positioned dead centre of the advert and is very large, again meaning that it stands out and attracts the readers attention. Finally we see further information such as the release date positioned just below the album name, making it easy for the readers to see. This creates excitement among the target audience and fans who will be encouraged to purchase the album on the release date.

The choice of imagery in this album advert is important as we do not see the artist. As a result of this it is important that the advert includes a bold image which symbolises something. This is achieved through the use of a Gorilla, symbolising that they are the king of their genre as the Gorilla is the king of the jungle. Furthermore the Gorilla is a blonde colour, which is unusual as we would usually expect a Gorilla to be black. This again supports the idea that the artist is trying to be diverse and go against normality. The images and colours used within the advertisement also represent that artist as funny or amusing through the strange picture that is used. This attracts the audience to the artist as he appears to have an amusing personality.

The typography in this advert stands out well as both the artists name and album name are written in capital letters, this makes it bold and therefore is likely to catch the eye of the reader. Furthermore the typography is very edgy and futuristic, suggesting that the artist is the future of the genre. The "Basement Jaxx" font is coloured yellow, green and pink, connoting to the audience that the artist is standing out and also attempting to be edgy. This reflects the artist themselves. The typography also matches the usual font that is used for the artist name, the chosen font style is the one that is associated with the artist and has become their logo. The same font continues in the name of the album which keep the advert consistent, labeling the important information in the same recognisable typography.

Summary:
I believe that this is the much stronger magazine advert as it is very effective in achieving its purpose. I believe that it advertises the artist very well as it represents them as being unique and standing out from the crowd which is likely to appeal to the target audience. Furthermore I believe that it is clearly recognisable that the album is from the dance genre as it is a very conventional advert. As a result of this I will be taking many inspirations from this magazine advert. I will try to replicate the use of bright and luminous colours to make the advert stand out and part of the dance genre. Furthermore I will try to include diverse images to make the advert memorable to the target audience.