Ancillary task one (magazine advert analysis)

TypographyThe colours that are used are black, white and gold and this is portrayed through the typography and the image. The gold font stands out strongly against the black background especially against the stars name ‘Jessie J’, this is done purposely to show that she is the person whose album they are advertising. The colour black links with her signature look of the black bob which matches her black nail varnish and black lipstick. I believe that the fonts symbolise different areas of the advertisements. The gold colour represents the artist, for example her name in the website is in the colour gold and the rest of the address in white. In contrast the white represents the content of the album, ‘PRICE TAG’ ‘WHO YOU ARE’. The font which denotes the artist is In curly italic writing which implies its targeted towards a female audience. The gold connotes a classic feminine outlook. It also looks like that she is signed the advertisement which creates a personal touch. The other writing is show in bold capital letters, this stands out so it would draw the audiences attention to the relevant information about what they are advertising. This information would attract customers because they show the hit songs which would be useful for the audience as they would be secured that the album would have the same style music as her most successful singles. The website address shown at the bottom creates a relationship with the reader as her fans would be able to know more about her and making the artist more successful. In terms of the layout there appears to be two sections which are separated by the image of the artist and then the useful information about the album at the bottom. This makes it easier for the audience to understand and read and generally follows the conventions of magazine advertisements.

ImageryThe image is showed through a close up shot with the artist directly looking into the camera. This creates a relationship with the audience and would persuade them to take notice of the advertisement. This is also exhibited through the way she has her mouth open as if she is trying to say something to the audience. The image takes up most of the advertisement implying that the focus is on her. She is wearing all black which highlights a sophisticated and classy outlook but also implying that she is fierce which is accentuated through her music. The record label is portrayed through a logo which is placed at the bottom left and right of the advertisements. I think that these are important when advertising an album or a single because it gives people an insight into what kind of music the label produces making them more recognisable. The logo also enhances their instrumental power which enforces their authority which they have with the album.

LightingThe top of the magazine advertisements showing the image of Jessie j is brighter than the bottom, this is because there needs to be more focus on her as she is the persons album who they are advertising so therefore she needs to appear brighter and to be recognisable for the audience. The lighting also enhances the ideology that she is a positive character and a good influence towards the younger generation and her fans.

LanguageThe advertisements uses words such as ‘includes the international smash’ this highlights that her music is good and would encourage the audience to buy her album from the positive reviews.

I thought I would analyse a different album advertisement of Katy Perry ‘One of the boys’ which is not the same as the digipak I analysed which was Katy Perry ‘Teenage Dream’. I thought it would be interesting to identify the different features which she has from her first album to one of her latest.

TypographyThe writing on the poster shows information about the album. All of the writing is shown on the write side of the poster which gives a main focus to the image of Katy Perry which is shown on the left side. The name of the artist ‘Katy Perry’ is placed at the top and is the biggest writing on the poster this is to accentuate who the artist is. It has bright pink writing implying a female artist with a white outline so it stands out. This font is the most appealing and stands out amongst the other text. The text which gives information about the album is in a white bold font which stands out so It would draw the audiences attention. This information is important on an advertisement. Words such as ‘includes the #1 smash hits’, the singles name and release date is important so the audience know when the album is going to be released. At the very bottom of the poster there is Katy Perry's website. This is in very small font in comparison to the other text on the page. The website would allow fans to find out more about the album and Katy Perry. It is in the smallest font because it isn’t something the audience would necessary look for, they would rather know more about the album which is signified clearly on the poster. The name of her album ‘one of the boys’ is placed underneath her name. This font is in curly writing reinforcing a female audience and the colour is in blue which links to the albums name. The blue font and the name of the album link together because boys are commonly associated with the colour blue. The font is a lot smaller compared to the other text on the page, this could be because the name of the album is less important than the other elements featured on the poster.

ImageryKaty Perry is shown in a full body shot. Her body language and costume reinforces the albums outlook very well. She is wearing a pair of high waisted shorts and a pink crop top. This would appeal to many girls as they would consider Katy as a fashionable pop star keeping up to date with the latest fashion trends. Her clothes aren’t too revealing but enhances her curves which makes her look attractive and which is what many girls would aspire to look like. Her body language is very elegant and sophisticated and she doesn’t seem to be giving away too much which creates suspense for her audience about the album.

Mise en sceneI believe that the mise en scene in this poster follows the conventions of Pop. Katy Perry appears to be in a garden with a beach in the surroundings. The paddling pool with rubber ducks connote happiness and enjoyment which is what the album could portray. It also highlights Katy Perry's personality as a bubbly energetic character. The bright colours of her clothing, paddling pool and the hazy background work well together and it still reinforces the fact that Katy Perry is the main centre of attention on the poster and holds the most dominance.

TypographyThe text used on this album is in mostly bold writing, this is so it stands out and draws the audiences attention. The text in the centre of the poster has Miley Cyrus name and the name of the album. This is in the centre so it is the first thing the audience would look at as it’s the most important feature on the poster. This is so the audience know which artist they are promoting and the name of the album. Both the artists name and the album name is in the same font but Mileys name is bigger to show that the main focus is on her and that she holds more dominance. The text at the bottom of the poster is in bold capital letters to stand out. The text includes information about the album, stating songs, stickers and a limited edition cover. The language used such as ‘smash hits, deluxe album and limited edition’ would draw the audiences attention because these are all persuasive words which would lure them into buying the album. The font is the same as the font used for Miley Cyrus name and the album name which shows that the artist and Miley Cyrus link together. At the very to of the poster it says ‘FREE POSTER WITH EVERY PURCHASE COLLECT ALL 4 DESIGNS’ this is written in red bold writing which would draw the readers attention. This is a strapline and is used as a persuasive technique to persuade the audience into buying the album. This is achieved by using the word ‘FREE’, the audience would be attracted to this as they wouldn’t have to pay for it which they would prefer.

ImageryIn terms of the layout the images are shown in four square boxes which link to the digipak as it as the same layout as the front cover just different images. This shows the different styles of Miley Cyrus and the audience would get to see her in a different light. The images overall are quite seductive and bring a lot of sex appeal because of the minimal amount of clothing. The clothing is quite similar according to style and colours as she is wearing black and white. This accentuates a rock style theme rather than a pop theme which her music portrays which could be confusing for the audience. The words ‘Bangerz in each image stands out because of the bright neon lighting and works well with the pink and purple colours used throughout the advertisements. This implies that the target audience is aimed towards girls because these colours are most commonly associated with this gender.

At the very bottom of the magazine advertisement there are the Facebook and twitter website addresses. These are used as a promoting technique because the audience would be able to find more information about the star and the album on these social networking sites. I believe that this is one of the most sufficient ways to promote the album because her audience teenage girls/some boys use these social networking sites a lot, so the album would become more successful through the internet rather than billboards for example. On the bottom right side of the advertisement there is a logo which represents a company which helped with the album. This would inform the audience on extra information about the album yet at the same time promoting the company which could make them more successful.

Ancillary task two (digipak analysis)

Front coverThe front cover of the CD shows a close up shot of Jessie J who is directly looking into the camera which creates a intimate personal relationship with her and the audience. This is used as a persuasive technique to persuade the audience to buy the digipak. The plain white back ground makes her appear powerful and also makes her image stand out especially as she is wearing mostly black. The gold bold text ‘Jessie J’ enhances her strong fierce character and that she isn’t afraid to stand out which is highlighted through her choice of music. The camera is at an equal angle to her face which further shows the closeness between her and the audience. The image intertwines with the magazine advertisement as they use the same image which makes it easier for the audience to recognise the album and also to promote the album.

The diskThe white theme is enhanced on the disk of the album showing its simplicity and elegance. The heart implies that the target audience are females and also highlights that the genre of the album is pop because most pop songs are about love and relationships. The disk has the name of the album written on it which reminds the audience what the album is called which also advertises it.

The backThe back of the digi pak has a simple white background which is in contrast to the front cover as colours are mainly black. By having most of the colours virtually in white it highlights elegance and purity showing a light heartened side to the artist. The name of the songs are in bold black writing and they are all in capital letters which stand out so would therefore grab the audiences attention. The text links to the image through the use of the colour black as her clothing, hair and makeup are all black and her songs are written in black which shows that her songs could be related to Jessie J herself creating a poignant side but also implying that those songs are by Jessie J so that is why they link together. There is also other features that appear on the back such as the record label logos which also appear on the advertisement. These show which record label Jessie J belongs to and also the logos enforce the company's power showing that they are successful. Underneath the list of songs there is information about the different organisations which she is connected to and also companies that have helped her create the album, this would inform the audience on who created the album which they may find intriguing. There are also three websites, the artists, Facebook and twitter. These are all significant as they are an advertising technique to promote Jessie J. They would use social networking sites because this is what most of her fans would use especially because of her young fan base. It would be the easiest way for the audience to find information about the artist and any upcoming events. It further creates a personal relationship with Jessie J and the audience. The barcode is placed at the bottom which follows the conventions of most digipaks. Its placed at the bottom because its not something which the audience would really look for as it’s the least important but it is essential when purchasing the CD.

The front coverThe front cover follows the typical conventions of a pop music album. This is due to the main colours being pink and purple. The image of Katy Perry is centred in the middle of the front cover which would draw the readers attention. This implies that the main focus is on her and connotes her power and importance. The way that Katy Perry is positioned is unique as she is lying on clouds which are supposed to be candy floss in a seductive way. This shows elements of the male gaze by Laura Mulvey as Katy Perry is seen as being a sex symbol. She could be doing this to engage the audience and entice them to buy her CD. This would attract a male audience as well as a female audience. The font used on the front cover are in contrast to each other. The artists name is placed at the very top of the front cover ‘Katy Perry’ and the album name is placed at the bottom. Both of the fonts follow a similar theme of sweets which is accentuated throughout the whole digipak. ‘Katy Perry is written in the style of candy laces and ‘Teenage Dream’ is written like candy sticks. This highlights the album as being fun and exciting and further enhancing the artists personality as unique and bubbly which is portrayed in her music video and also through the media. The layout of the text appears to be framing the artist as they are separated through the top and bottom of the cover. The contrast between the sweet theme and the way Katy Perry is positioned is significant as it highlights a innocent and sexual aspect to her which allows her to stand out from other pop artists. There is a logo of a ‘parental advisory’ sticker located at the bottom right of the album. This implies that the audience should have parental permission to buy the album. I believe that this would persuade the audience to buy the album because Pop stars are supposed to be seen as innocent artists producing fun pop songs for the younger generation. So, they would automatically be drawn towards this as the album would be different and interesting.

The inside bookletThe candy theme is followed throughout the booklet. Katy Perry is seen sitting down with a crown on and is positioned with her arm across sweets. The props which are used of the crown and sweets enhances her power and authority which she seems to have over the sweets which could link to the songs in her album and in her music videos. It represents overall that she is a strong character which is demonstrated through her other albums and through the media. Katy is directly looking towards the camera which engages the audience and entices them to buy her album. Another image denotes a close up shot of Katy Perry with her hand behind her head laying on the clouds ‘candy floss’. This is the same setting which is on the front cover and the other image in the inside booklet. Katy Perry appears to look relaxed. Yet, she doesn’t accentuate a fun and happy facial expression which we would usually see from a pop star, instead the image portrays a seductive side to her, this is also enhanced by the red lipstick connoting lust and passion.

The disksThere are two disks to this digipak which isn’t usually common. The first disk represents a donut which follows the albums theme of sweets. The second disk also follows the albums theme of sweets as it represents a candy cane lollypop. This is unique as most disks have the name of the artist and the album but this enhances Katy Perry's personality as she is different and has her own unique style compared to other pop stars in the pop music industry. The colours of the two disks are bright and colourful which connote happiness and also highlight that the audience is aimed towards girls.

The backThe information on the back of the digipak shows the songs which feature in the album. They are listed in numerical order which makes it easy for the audience to read and understand. The font is in red bold capital letters, again following the sweet theme. This is further enhanced through the writing as the letter ‘Os’ are shown as candy cane lollypops which creates a fun and intriguing feel towards the album. The writing underneath the list of songs is the copyright information which is vital to any CD, however it is smaller because it is not something which the audience would look for and necessary read. It is also in a smaller font so it doesn’t take the focus away from the song list which the audience would want to read. It also follows the main conventions of a digipak and looks professional. The barcode is also used in a similar way but is larger so its easily recognisable and its also an important element for any CD to have. The links to Katy Perry’s Myspace, management and website are placed at the bottom corner of the album. This allows the audience to access more information about the album or the artist.

The front coverThe front cover follows the typical conventions of a Pop album. The image of Miley Cyrus is shown in a mid shot, this allows the audience to have a clear view of who the artist is. Miley is smiling in the image connoting a sense of happiness and enjoyment. This is something which a typical pop song would accentuate so she is following the right conventions. I believe that the use of props is effective on the front cover through the microphone. By her holding the microphone it shows that she has a passion for singing and further highlights the conventions of the pop style genre. The microphone also accentuates a light heartened and fun side to Miley which is what is portrayed through her album. The artists name Is placed across the middle of the album so she is recognisable towards the audience. The writing is in silver bold writing which would stand out and grab the audiences attention. The silver star which is in the middle of her first name and second name is eye catching, especially because of the bright colours. The star symbolises the fact that she is a ‘pop star’ and maybe a star in the making. I feel that the silver and red colours work well together its not too over the top and it keeps the album simplistic and elegant.

The back of the inside bookletThe images of stars which are spread across the whole cover show that the target audience is aimed towards girls. The bold outline around the stars and the different sized stars stand out and would catch the audiences eye. The other side of the inside booklet doesn’t contain any information or images, it shows a silver sparkly background which could connote star dust or diamonds, associating with girls and would therefore draw their attention.

The disksThere are two disks for this album. One is for the music and the other for the DVD. Both of disks are the same and include the same features apart from stating that on is the music and the other is the DVD. This is essential for the audience because then they would be able to know the difference between the two. This is also enhanced through the two colours, one is white and the other red. This follows the colours which are used throughout the album which sticks to the theme. This is further enhanced by the images of stars, but they are a lot smaller which could give the image of star dust creating a imaginative fairy tale theme towards the album attracting the audiences awareness.

The back coverThe information on the back denotes the songs which feature in the album and this is shown through a list layout which makes it easy for the audience to read and incorporate. The text is in white which stands out against the dark red background. This would make it clearer for the audience to read and also due to the fact that the text is in a bold font. On the right side of the cover there is other information which tells the audience what is included on the DVD disk. This is relevant information for them because they would be intrigued to know what would be included so the cd would be worth their money especially as it’s a two disk so would therefore be more expensive. There is also information in a smaller font explaining how long the DVD runs for. This is useful but is in a smaller font because its not something which the audience would be desperate to know. Like any other CD there is the copyright information placed at the bottom of the cover and also the barcode which is a vital feature of any CD. There are also the logos of the record labels placed next to the barcode, this is useful for the audience to know which record label Miley belongs to and it also promotes their company too. The images of stars on the cover relates to the star on the front cover which shows that the album links together and doesn’t look misplaced or confused. It makes the CD appear smart and professional. The stars accentuate that the target audience is for girls because it is commonly known as girly symbol which is seen on a lot of merchandise and when advertising girls products.