Ancillary Task - ResearchBy Dawid Tomczuk

Album Adverts

Zedd – True ColoursBackground graphics

Artist name

Album titleRelease

information

Website

details

Album conten

t

The image visible on the advert of Zedd’s album portrays a very abstract graphic composition. The colourful composition resembles the joy and happiness which is achieved by the progressive house music due to its listeners mainly partying and attending clubs. The purpose of such image is to attract the audiences attention via the vibrant colours so that they can notice the advert amongst the crowded streets causing it to be stuck in their head. From my point of view the ‘paint splash’ look-a-like image reflects current party settings where coloured powder is thrown at the audience causing them to be covered in colours. The advert follows the typical conventions of music album adverts due to its portraying an image, the artists name and album title, as well as mentioning the release date, website information or the most known tracks which appear on the CD. On this particular advert we can see that the artists website has been mentioned which allows the audience to acknowledge any tours which are happening. This feature is used amongst music adverts however it does not appear very often. I believe that Zedd has specified his website due to him not having a stable audience and by not being well known amongst other progressive house artists. The advert includes the necessary features however it does not include them in the correct placements. The effective use of fonts in this advert has clearly separated the most vital parts which the audience

is meant to see at the first glance to the information which they will read while they are interested in the advert. The name of the artist is very bold, written in a very sharp font which is considered to be his set artist logo. The album title is written in a simple yet bold font that clearly allows the audience to recognise its name, allowing for ease of reading. The contrasts between size and width of the font for the artists logo and album name clearly shows the importance of information on the advert. The last use of text in the advert uses a bolder font which purpose was to emphasise the website details therefore making it stand out in the advert. Looking at both the advert and digipak I have noticed that the artist has kept the same artist logo. He then has used the same font which he has used for the advert in order to write the track list at the back of the digipak. Apart from the text Zedd has included the same graphic image on the front of the digipak as he has used on the advert as well as continued the same bright colour of the background therefore creating a corporate image between the two different mediums. The colours which appear on the advert are very contrasting. The bright background allows for the black text to be read very easily improving the clarity of the advert. On top of this the vibrant image contrast with the bright background therefore emphasising the colours causing the advert to be very eye-catching. This particular example of a music advert challenges the typical layout of a advert. The artist name which typically appears at the top of the advert is placed under the image with the rest of the information such as the album title, track info and contact details. I believe that as a result of this the advert is more appealing to the audience as the image attracts their attention first which then transfers them to the vital information.

Band name

Wide shot of building in Hackney

( where the band originates

from ) Release Date

Review

Album title

Record label logo

Album content

Rudimental - HomeThe image which appears in Rudimentals advert portrays a city location. The building which has been captured in the image is located in Hackney, where the band is from. This image has been deliberately used in this advert due to the album title which is called ‘Home’. As a result they advertise where they are from. The image consists of a wide collection of colours which was additionally seen in Zedds ‘True Colours’ album. The building captured centrally in the image includes graffiti on its side which is emphasised by the use of vibtrant colour. The same image has been used on the Digipak however they differ in terms of brightness and saturation. The image on the advert is much brighter and includes sharper colours in order to catch the attention of the passing public. The purpose of the image in the advert is to represent nostalgia from the band as they show where they are from to their audience. This allows the band to get emotionally closer to the audience as they present where they originated from, showing that they are the same as everyone from their fans. In contrast to the advert by Zedd, this Progressive House advert does follow the typical conventions of a music magazine. The band name and album title are allocated on top of the central visual interest in the image (building) whereas the album

content, release date, record label and review information are allocated beneath it. This as a result creates a stable advert as the information is spread across the top and the bottom therefore causing the advert to not be overfilled with information. Across the whole advert I have spotted a use of two different fonts. The font which has been used on the bands logo is additionally used across the information on the bottom of the advert creating a set house style. The only exception is on the album title ‘Home’. The album title has been written in a finer font which is less harsh for the eye therefore creating a positive connotation for the word ‘Home’. The biggest link between the advert and the digipak is that both mediums have used the same image as their background. This as a result allows the bands audience to memorise the advert and then purchase the CD as they recognise the same image in store. In terms of the layout, the digipak has kept the same positioning of the bands logo as it has been positioned in the advert. On the other hand the major difference between the advert and the digipak is the placement and font used for the album title ‘Home’. On the digipak the album title is allocated in the bottom right hand corner and is written in a much more handwritten style therefore providing it with a much more sentimental feeling, which reflects the feeling of ‘being at home’. The colours visible in the advert are very bright and contrasting therefore cause the advert to be brought out and catch our attention. I believe that a use of a wide variety of high contrasting colours is vital in Progressive House adverts due to the fact that they present joy and happiness as well as energy that the music transfers to the listeners. The adverts has a very strong layout as it follows the common layout found amongst many adverts therefore making it very effective. All of the features follow the conventions therefore the information is easily transferred to the audience .

Ed Sheeran - XArtist name Background

graphics – reflecting the album

nameAlbum title

Reviews from

known sources

Release information

Website details

The large ‘X’ which appears in the middle of Ed Sheeran's advert portrays the albums title. The graphic image is very simple therefore making it very easy to notice and understand. The area of the image is dominated by the ‘X’ which as a result can be seen from far distance which clearly portrays the albums title. The advert consists of two borders at the top and bottom which have been used in order to emphasise valuable text in a contrasting colour. As a result of this, the image composition allows the advert to intrigue the audience and inform them in a suitable method. Ed Sheeran’s music mainly fits into R&B and Pop especially the album ‘X’ due to its joyful tempo and very bright vocals which are reflected by the colours which create harmony within the advert. As we can see in the advert the artists name is allocated at the very top in the black border, following the typical placement .The image is allocated in the middle and any vital information beneath it. As a result the advert clearly emphasises the vital information such as the artists name and the release information at the bottom and the album title ‘X’ whereas the information such as the reviews on the green background are less important. By this advert being from a R&B music genre I believe that it portrays a well structured advert in terms of its codes & conventions . On the other hand I believe that the conventions found in this advert would not apply to Zedd’s or Rudimental’s adverts as they appear to be more abstract.

font used by the artist on the advert looks very informal due to its uneven shapes and texture however it suits the genre as it is connotes that Ed Sheeran's music is quite loose and playful. By the use of such font it does stand out against other adverts as it is rather original however I believe that it could cause various problems to read especially from a distance whilst passing it on the public. In terms of the digipak and the advert I have found a very close relation in terms of the colours, graphics and font that both mediums have used. The advert has used the same ‘X’ design for its front of the digipak therefore allowing the listeners to immediately notice the album which was advertised. The front of the digipak is green whereas the back is black therefore the artist has continued the same colour combination from the advert onto the digipak creating a corporate image. The font is kept consistent throughout the advert and onto the digipak . This is a very good example of corporate identity between the two advert and digipak. The colours used on the advert are very calm and harmonizing as they go well together allowing for text to be emphasised due to its high contrast. As I have mentioned before the layout of the advert is very decisive and strong. The placement of each information has been well thought out and with the clever use of graphics and colour each of the information is clearly seen on the canvas for the audience to read.

Drake – Nothing Was The SameArtist Name

Album Name

Release

information

Album content

Background graphics – also used in Digipak

Record Label

In comparison to previous adverts, Drake’s advert portrays two images. The two images portray Drake as a young child which contrasts with an image of him at the time the album is released. The use of such images was to show his progression and where he got to in his hip hop career while changing his image throughout his music journey. Such use of images is very effective due to the fact that it allows the audience for direct comparison of the younger and older Drake. The advert represents a very simple composition which is very effective as the public immediately recognises the artist therefore it allows him to promote his album via his fame and public recognition. Looking into the conventions of Hip Hop which has carried on from my AS magazine production, I have acknowledged that in Hip Hop the artists are considered to be the main interest of the advert. This advert portrays the artist against a very simplistic composition therefore bringing his silhouette out. As a result of this, Drake himself is being the central visual interest of the advert therefore following the convention of hip hop artists being the main interest in adverts. On the other hand, the images in the advert have been cleverly positioned as these are the images which are allocated on Drakes album.

The use of typography in this advert is limited to one font at different sizes which allows for easy emphasising of information as well as keepign the advert consistent.The font colour contrasts with the background making it ‘pop’ out in front of the images causing it to be very eye catching. In terms of the connection between the advert and the digipak, the hard copy of the album has used both of the images which have appeared in the advert. As a result the advert promotes the hard copy of the album by portraying the images which appear on it. In comparison to the Dance music adverts which I have analysed, Hip Hop adverts uses colour only in images whereas the background and text are very plain. The use of colours in Hip Hop is very limited. On the other hand the colour contrasts with each other ( black and white) which allows for certain information to be brought out for the audience to see. The layout which appears in this advert is very contradicting to what I have seen before as first of all the advert has a horizontal orientation. This does not follow the typical conventions of a music advert as mainly adverts appear in vertical orientations in order to allow for the flow of information from the top to the bottom of the advert. On the other hand the features which appear in the advert do partially follow the typical layout as the artist name, album name appear on top of the images in order to state who the advert promotes.

Album Digipaks

Ed Sheeran - X

(Front)

(Back)

Graphic image

representing the album title “X”

Record label

information

Copyright statemen

t

Barcode

Track list

Outline od Ed

Sheeran himself

Corporate image with the Advert

(same image and colours

used)

Ed Sheeran’s digipak consists of two images which appear on the front and back of the packaging. The image at the front is a graphical composition representing the albums title ‘X’ whereas the image on the back portrays the outline of Ed Sheeran himself in reverted colours. From the first sight it is very hard to tell the genre of the Digipak however looking at the use of subtle colours and their construction we can make out the R&B music genre. Overall the digipak does follow the typical conventions of music digipaks however it does challenge them at times. The areas which challenge the stereotypical conventions is its front cover as it only portrays the image with no information about the artist name which is quite abstract. Moving onto the back of the digipak we have are portrayed a page which fully follows the conventions of a music digipak. On the back page we are conveyed the most important information such as the track list, barcode, record label information and legal statements which prove the copyright of the CD.

As I have analysed both the advert and the digipak for Ed Sheeran’s album ‘X’ I have found very strong interlinking between those two mediums. The first is the use of colour and image. In his advert Ed Sheeran has placed the big graphic ‘X’ composition which then has been put onto his front cover of the digipak, creating a corporate identity between the promotion and the hard copy file. Looking at the colours which have been used in both mediums, I have additionally seen the ‘inverted’ style has been put forward from the advert where the artist name and release information has been written in a green font against a black background, onto the digipak. Due to this style being carried onto the back page of the digipak has gained a black background with all of the necessary information being written in green as well as the outline of Ed Sheeran himself. The use of font in Ed Sheerans advert and albumis limited to one style only therefore creating corporate identity between the two mediums. The use of the same font as a result creates a strong bond between the two platforms causing the advert to be a very strong promotion of the physical album. The layout of the digipak is very simple yet very effective. All of the information are spread out causing the packaging to not be overcrowded with information making it easy to follow. On the back of the digipak the feature which has caught my eye was the track list which gradually increased in size towards the bottom which then connected with the barcode and the legal statement. In my opinion this feature looks very neat hence it enhances the look of the digipak, giving a very organised impression. I believe that the back of Ed Sheerans digipak is a very good example of a well thought out layout therefore I could take on inspiration from his work onto my own digipak construction.

Zedd – True ColoursGraphi

c design of the album

Artist name

Album title

Copyright statement Record

label logo

Barcode

Continuation of colours

from front of the digipak

Track list

(Front) (Back)

As a continuation from Zedd’s “ True Colours” advert I have chosen to analyse the “True Colours” digipak. The first thing which catches our attention while looking at the front page of the digipak is the colourful graphic composition which has additionally appeared on the advert. The image is very bright which reflects the progressive house’s tempo as well as wild club and party setting. When we turn the digipak over to see its back page we have a continuation of the colourful composition emerging from its side. As a whole the digipak does not include a photograph of any sort but only graphic compositions therefore causing the digipak to have a surreal element, which can be also visible in its music videos. Looking at the whole digipak and its features I consider it to follow the typical digipak conventions as it includes the artists name, album title, track list, barcode, legal statement and the record label. In comparison to other examples of music digipaks the front page of this album does not follow the typical

conventions due to the fact that the dominating factor in the front of the digipak is the image and not the artists name and album title. The overwhelming image takes away the attention from the most vital information such as the artists name. As a result in my digipak I will try to level out the importance of the image and the text in order to make the digipak equally informative and attractive for the audience. Contrasting the two platforms I have found a very strong link whether it is of the image or the fonts used, both of the platforms are identical. The feature which only differs between the two is the colour splash at the back of the digipak as it did not appear in the advert. I believe that by continuing the same style from the advert onto the digipak it has allowed for great promotion and marketing possibilities as the advert and the digipak are identical, therefore allowing for easy recognition of the product. Zedd has continued the same font style onto the digipak as it was very clear to read and caused the advert to look very professional therefore the track list written in the same style is very effective and clearly portrays to the audience what songs are available on the CD. By having a closer look at the back of the digipak I have found its layout very functional. As we can see at the back of the digipak, the track list is allocated in the top left corner against a white background which emphasises the typography. In my opinion I have found this allocation very effective as the text is easily read against the background whilst at the same time being emphasised by the high contrast between colours. The back of the digipak additionally includes a ‘colour splash’ design continuation from the front of the digipak which contrasts with the simplistic background therefore bringing life into the digipak. By the image occupying the right hand side of the digipak it has provided space for the track list . The allocation of the barcode is very typical as it mainly appears in the bottom right corner, same as the legal statement and the record label information which are mainly allocated towards the bottom of the page.

ArtistName

Album title

(Front)

(Back) Record label

Track list

Barcode

Warning label

Image of artist Copyright

Jay-Z – Vol2 Hard Knock Life

Artist name

(Inside) Record label

Copyright

Artist Name &

Album Title

In order to understand how hip hop digipaks are constructed I have decided to analyse Jay-Z’s Vol2 Hard Knock Life digipak. While looking at the digipak for the first time the feature which has struck me was the large image of the artist on both the front and the back of the digipak. As a result of this I have been able to recognise who’s album it is without even looking at the artists name therefore causing the album to visually promote itself due to the public recognition of the artist. The digipak represents the artist himself wearing elegant yet expensive clothing whilst at the same time leaning against a shiny, brand new car. As a result, this portrays the wealth Jay-z whilst following the stereotypes of Hip Hop music. In comparison to other digipaks which I have analysed, this digipak includes a “Parental Advisory” warning label due to the content being quite explicit. On the other hand the digipak includes the necessary features such as the barcode, track list, record label logo and copyright statement therefore following the conventions of music digipaks. Same as in the advert of Drake’s album, this digipak has a very decisive, bold font which is used to write the artists name and the track list. The font used within the digipak connotes the aggressive, ‘gangster’ like associations of hip hop artists. The colours appearing in this digipak are white and purple. The two colours are very contrasting therefore the use of purple or white on the text really stands out and catches the audiences attention. The overall layout throughout the whole digipak is well spread out with all of the graphics being positioned intentionally to give space for the text or artist logo.

Clean Bandit – New Eyes

ImageGenreRepresentationConventionsFontLinksColourslayout

(Front)

(Inside)

(Back)

Band Name

Reflectiveshapes

Album Title

“Special Edition” content detail

Same image used as on the

back

Band Name

Album Title

Track ListSame image used as on the inside

In order to gain a deeper research into electronic/dance music I have decided to analyse Clean Bandits album digipak named New Eyes. At the first sight the we can clearly make out its abstract design which portrays a rather unnatural depiction. The images used on the digipak represent reflective geometrical shapes which give the digipak a ‘portal’ like impression. The portal like shapes have significantly caught my attention as I believe that they are very effective in terms of abstract composition therefore I could take on inspiration from them during my own digipak production. Considering the fact that Clean Bandit is a electronic/dance music band, they have not included images of themselves in the digipak therefore following the conventions of dance music digipaks. The typography style which has been used throughout the digipak is very delicate for the eye due to its thin structure, and contrasting colour to the background. Looking at the three pages which I have been able to get hold of, I consider the digipak to follow the typical conventions of a musical digipak. The front page portrays the vital information of the bands name, album title and additional information such as the “Special Edition” content. I have found that similarly as in Zedd’s digipak, the bands name and album title are given a lower importance in contrast to the reasonably large graphics which are allocated on the front cover of the digipak. In my digipak construction pages I would consider to level out the importance of graphics and typography as I believe that Clean Bandits and Zedd’s examples are not as informative as they should be. Considering the fact that I have gained these images of internet, the back cover of the digipak is missing a barcode which could have been positioned on the plastic film the digipak was sold in. Other than this we can see that the back page lacks record label information and a legal statement. I believe that the information which were not included on the back page are included in the booklet inside of the digipak. The lack of information has as a result created space for abstract graphics to be implemented into the back page design. The colours which appear on the digipak are very contrasting (black/white, green/gold) therefore allowing the digipak to effectively emphasise typography, making the information stand out.

Conclusion• During my ancillary task research I have come across many features which could be very beneficial

for my product. One of them is the use of the same image which have appeared on the advert on the digipak as by this I will allow for clear product promotion due to the audience recognising the image on the digipak from the advert which they may come across. Another aspect which I have found is the use of bright colours which was mainly seen on dance genre digipaks and adverts. By the inclusion of vibrant colours I believe that I would allow my digipak/advert to convey the music’s fast pace as well as enhance its aesthetical features by making it more eye-catching for the audience. A feature which has really caught my attention during my research, is the portal-look-a-like geometrical shapes which could be seen on Clean Bandits digipak. I believe that they portray a very intriguing abstract design which really suits my taste and the surreal videos which are mainly portrayed in dance music, therefore I could take on inspiration from Clean Bandits digipak and place it into my own digipak making. In terms of typography I have acknowledged that various styles and sizes have been used for different purposes i.e. in order to write different information. Fonts in digipaks and adverts from dance/electronic music tend to have a very simple font whereas R&B and Hip Hop use their font in order to convey the music style. As of the layout within the adverts and digipaks I have acknowledged that the layouts differ depending on the music genre. Dance music mainly portrays the graphic image with a higher importance than the artists/bands name and album title which is quite controversial. Concluding, I believe that the key elements which I have gained from this research will provide me with base information on how to structure a digipak which I then will develop in my further research.