A2 Ancillary Research and Planning Tasks

Digipaks.

In lesson, we looked at a variety of digipaks. One example that we have looked at is the Eagles digipack. 

On the front of the digipak, we can see the name of the band, the name of the album, a sticker including the greatest hits (songs). 

On the spine of the digipak we can see the name and the album, as well as the record label. 

On the back we are able to see a barcode, a songlist, the year which the digipak was made in small letters (not intrusive), the copyright information (all rights reserved), the record label's information, however here it is shown in more detail including their address. We can also see a legal note saying 'unauthorised copying, hiring, lending, public performance, and broadcasting of this recording is prohibited.' On the opposite spine, we can see the name of the band, the album and the recording label, therefore the information is mirrored. The top and bottom of the digipak has an Aztec theme of an autumnal colour, which is again mirrored. Inside the digipak, we are able to see a consistent colour code.
 
Panel 1 includes a pullout with the same Aztec colours, including information about the band as well as the CD's. Each other panel includes a different CD, with the slip where it fits being shown in autumnal colour. The inside section of each CD is the same as the background of the panel in which it fits. 
On the opposite side of each panel including a CD, we are able to see pictures which are all the same size, have a sepia tone, and link in with a theme of nature. The focus of the pictures have been severely manipulated, as well as being cropped and the colour being changed. The panel on the flip side of the pull out includes a quote that links in with the pictures. The writing on the digipak shows the disk number to be not in bold, however, the name of the CD to be in bold, showing the importance.

Michael Jackson
From looking at this digipak, we are able to see a difference between this and the Eagles CD. For example, we are able to see a different way in which the CD is sitting in the digipak. This is done by the CD not being shown and a a lip is there for you to get the CD out. an image is shown on top of the section with a lip showing you who the artist is. Also in this digipak, stills are shown from the artist's music video alongside lyrics of the main singles by the artist. Throughout the digipak, we are able to see a gold theme which is consistent. Shown as a book. 

Arctic Monkeys

simple, matte. front = photograph that has been turned into a cartoon. only 6 panel digipak. Colour that has been manipulated in the picture on the front cover has been used in the font showing the name of the artist and album, showing a consistent theme throughout. In terms of font, the name of the artist is made bigger than the name of the album, showing the importance of the band. The font is edgy and quirky which fits in well with the genre of the band being indie-rock. 

The spines have the artists name, the album name and the record label logo, which is consistent on all spines, as well as an album code. The back also is the same as it has a barcode, and has the same conventions as the Eagles. The back shows the songs that are on the album, however they are displayed differently to the Eagles, as there are no song numbers. 

The songs are written in no list and are just casually put in, representing the artists and their genre. Inside the digipak, a plastic container is used, where the CD can fit inside, however the image on the CD fits in with the theme due to it being on full display. On either side of the CD, we can see two images, which similar to front cover we can see a picture with a cartoon theme put inside in order to manipulate it. 

On one of the sides, we can see a lip has been put in, in which more information can be found about the band and songs on the CD within the information inside the lip. 

Roomful of Teeth
the front cover only has the name 'Roomful of teeth' therefore the consumer doesn't know if the name of the artist is Roomful of teeth or the album name is roomful of teeth.

 Inside the lyrics of the songs are shown printed on the inside cover. The background shows rather than a picture there is modern art in red and black colours which is consistent throughout the digipak. the inside cover contains information production of the Cd, down to the detail of who created the album's artwork. 

The Cd fits into a U-shape lip with the 

Curtis Roads
the front cover contains a scratchy space type pattern which is shown as a silver pattern on a black background, where as this is changed on the inside on the discs as the background of the discs are silver with a black pattern on. This shows synergy as the colours have been nicely swapped and is consistent throughout the digipak. There are two Cd's which are put into a plastic case inside the digipak rather than a lip or a u-shaped lip. there is lots of information on the back cover of the digipak including the track list, the track name and how long each track lasts.  

Eminem
The name of the album being 'The curtain call' reflects on the cover picture being a stage with a man performing with roses. There is a sticker on the front about the songs that are on the album, further promoting the songs by the artist, as well as a sticker about 'parental advisory' which informs the consumer of what it is they will be purchasing and how appropriate it is for a certain audience. The inside images being used in this digipak highlight the artist as here the artist is being presented as a serious, however we know from videos and other things that the artist has done in real life that he is not a serious artist. The image shows the artist being interrogated, giving the impression that he is living up to his 'bad boy' image. The two discs are completely different in both colour and the way that they are presented, for example, one dics is black and white with a slight bit of green colour and is named after the album. However the other CD is called 'Stan's mixtape' which is shown in a handwritten style making it seem more casual and living up to Eminem's alter ego. 

Conclusion

Overall I have noticed that a digipak commonly includes photographs of the artist, the brand image is represented throughout, they all prioritise the music on the album and emphasise the hardwork and talent which has gone into the production of this. When creating the digipak for our artist Fearne Piper we shall include photographs of her as this will emphasise her stardom and the music shall be prioritized.

Digipak conventions:

Front

• A primary image of the cover (sometimes of the artist, sometimes of something that promotes the artist's image)
• name of the artist on the front cover
• name of the album on the front cover

Back

• track list on the back cover
• barcode
• copyright information
• record label/record company
• website links

Side/spine

• name of the artist
• name of the album
• serial code

Inside

• some sort of sleeve/lip/slip/casing for the disc to fit into
• some sort of pull out/inside information including lyrics/note from the artist
• secondary images

Digipak research into genre conventions

Digipack from kateisginger

Gabrielle Aplin English Rain digipak analysis

When looking at the Gabrielle Aplin front cover the first thing you notice is the size of the text for Gabrielles name. This causes the audiences attention to be attracted immediately to the artists name as this is the main selling points. The font used is bold and black and stands out on the grey background used. The digipak name is then in a smaller size of text underneath the artists name, by doing this it adds a more laid back and relaxed approached to the album which is in synergy with the type of music. The use of the font is a stereotype of an indie pop genre as it is girly, italics, and looks hand written to add a personal message to the digipak. The use of the italics connotes importance and emphasises the album name. 

The front cover of the digipak is a picture of Gabrielle Aplin in centre frame with focused lighting on her, this is a typical convention for a digipak as she is shown to be the dominant factor of the digipak. Gabrielle is shown to be acting very care free and happy in the photo as her arms are up in the air and she is running in a desolate area, this conotes with the songs on the album which are very laid back and peaceful. The location used which is a desolate area is a typical indie pop convention as it is low budget and simple.

 From the use of this picture the genre of the music is also clearly shown. Gabrielle is shown to be holding a rainbow coloured umbrella which stands out from the grey/white background. The use of the umbrella creates synergy with the album name which is "English Rain." Synergy is very important and a typical convention of a digipak as it creates a professional approach and shows the work which has been put into selling the artist and their new digipak. The use of the umbrella being in bright primary/pastel colours with the grey background is the primary image of the album and is used throughout the entire digipak, this creates a sense of continuity and synergy yet again. 

When opening the digipak on the inside of the first fold a lip is shown which contains a booklet about the production of the digipak and the lyrics of all the songs on the album. Personal messages and exclusive photos of Gabrielle are included which adds another personal touch from the artist to the audience. This is a typical convention of a indie pop genre digipak as it is much more personal and intimate than a pop digipak which would be much bolder and less personal. The cover of the booklet is the umbrella which is used on the front cover showing synergy yet again.

The 2 CDs which feature within the digipak for the album emphasises the continuity the album shows throughout. The font on the Cds saying "CD 1 and CD 2" is the same as the font used on the front cover (the italic handwritten font.) This type of font is rarely used as it is not "in your face" and does not immediately grab the audiences attention and this is another convention of an indie pop genre. The images on the CDs are linked to the albums front cover with the same primary colours/pastel colours used. On CD 1 the image is the top of the umbrella used on the front cover of the digipak, on CD 2 it is balloons in the same colour as the umbrella. Both of these images are linked to the outdoors and the idea of being free and peaceful. This is yet again a typical convention of an indie pop genre as simple props are used and the colours are not too bright or loud. 

The back of the digipak shows the tracklist of the CDs. The background of the tracklist carries on from the front cover of the desolate area in a grey colour, this allows synergy to be creates again. The tracklist on the digipak is in the same font as the album name which is the italic, hand written, girly font. However the traclkist does not have numbers next to the song. This is a typical indie pop convention which creates the idea that the album is easy listening and all the songs flow into eachother and a story is created throughout. On the back of the digipak the bar code is shown, record label and the album artwork designer. However the colour which this is written in is white on a grey background and the font is a lot smaller to allow the main emphasis of the back cover to be on the tracklist.

My view - Overall I like the digipak of the album. I like the peaceful and relaxed vibe created and how synergy links the whole album together. In my opinion I believe Gabrielle could be emphasised a bit more on the front cover so her stardom is highlighted however I do like how she is not emphasised showing that she does not want the attention on her but she wants the attention to be on the songs and the work which she has put into the album and digipak. When making my digipak I will use the idea of the primary/pastel colours to create synergy and a girly peaceful vibe to the album.

Taylor Swift 1989 digipak analysis

The first thing that can be seen about this front cover of the album is the typography. We are able to see that the initials of the artist and the album title which are bold, showing how they are important and informs the consumer of what product they are buying. the casual 'handwriting' style of the text shows how it is casual and laid back, which successfully represents and acts as synergy with the genre of the artist of being indie pop.  A picture of the artist is also shown on the front cover of the digipak, allowing the audience to see the artist and who they are listening to. This shows how the artist want herself to be associated with the music so that the audience know who she is. This is typical of an indie pop genre as the artist wants herself to be known and seen, as well as the image on the front having a sepia tone on, which gives the audience an idea of the type of music on the album being alternative and different. 

The bold font used on the cover of the digipak allows the audience to relate to the fact that the album is important, in particular the title of the album being a year. The fact that this title is '1989' signifies to the audience that this year was important to the artist due to the fact that it was the year that she was born. This gives the audience the impression that the album will include new and different songs by the artist, with the idea that she has been 'reborn' as to create this new album, for example, the songs on this album are very different and a lot more upbeat than others songs from other albums that she has released, further acting as synergy with the idea that she has remade herself. The bold title is often a convention of an indie pop genre as the title needs to stand out and make an impression on the consumer so that the are aware of what they are buying. 

The primary image that is seen throughout the digipak are pictures of the artist which shows consistency through the digipak, constantly informing the consumer of who the artist is. This is done through firstly a picture of the artist on the front cover. Firstly, this image is shown to be a Polaroid picture, which acts as synergy with the genre of the artist as it is individual and different which are stereotypes of indie pop artists. This image sets up the audience for what the are about to listen to and purchase. The picture having only the artist's lips and body in entices the audience as it is different from other albums in other genres. The image shows the artist casually wearing a jumper and red lipstick, showing how she is being herself, further acting as synergy with the name of the album being the year that she was born. In the image on the front of the digipak we are able to see the artist in a jumper with an image of birds flying in the sky on. This image acts as synergy with the image on the disc inside the digipak as it is the same. This shows consistency throughout the digipak which is a genre conventions and what the artist is aiming for as it makes the consumer relate back to Taylor herself. 

The colours that are used throughout the digipak can be described as pastel simple colours that have been faded with effects that are put over the top. These colours are used throughout the digipak showing continuity, as well as the colours giving a peaceful and content feel to the album. For example, the background of the front cover being a sepia colour is consistent as it is also in the background of the back cover with the track list on. Inside the digipak the consumer can find small Polaroid pictures with individual hand written lyrics on each one. Each picture acts as synergy with the music on the album as each image has lyrics from the songs written at the bottom of the Polaroid. This acts as synergy through the digipak as it shows consistency. It also adds to the genre stereotype of being laid back and casual, as the writing on the Polaroids is handwritten, adding to the indie pop theme. This idea gives a playful and creative theme to the digipak, which acts as synergy with the music on the album which is creative and different to other things by the artist. 

The back of the album for this digipak reveal the songs that feature on this disc, which is typical for a digipak convention. This informs the consumer of the types of songs that are on the CD as well as their names and what order they will be played in. The style of the font for this track list can be described as bold due to the fact that it is in capital letters, connotating the fact that the fact that the artist wants the songs to stand out, as they are the reason that the consumer is purchasing the product. 

My view - I feel that the front cover of this digipak successfully sets up the consumer for what it is they will be purchasing. I feel that there is continuity through the colours of the digipak, that are shared through the front and back cover, as well as the general theme being continuous throughout, for example, through the use of Polaroid pictures inside the digipak as well as on the front cover. 

Indie pop genre conventions

• personal touch - handwritten, messages, signatures etc
• simple background with artist on front cover standing out
• outside spaces themed
• pastel/autumnal/ethereal colours - consistent 
• prominent prop - synergy to the album name/type
• sky/moody landscape
• black and white
• simple font - handwritten, personal 
• primary colours
• lots don't have numbers
• 
• 

Conclusion
Overall indie pop genre digipaks have a common theme of pastel colours throughout, personal messages and photographs of the artist enhancing their beauty and talent. I now feel more confident and have a better understanding in producing an indie pop genre related digipak. When creating the digipak for our artist, I shall include pastel colours, personal messages and photographs as these are common conventions of an indie pop genre and this is what our target audience will be expecting. 

Band Logos
The band logo for the Black Eyed Peas is edgy with the font and the way that it is lightning bolts on the bottom of the name of the band. The white writing shows up clearly and stands out on the simple black background, showing how it can be easily used on many different band logos that the band have in the future. The bold writing represents the genre of the band being pop and the writing gives the impression that they are upbeat to the audience. 

The band logo for One Direction is shown with simple writing. They have abbreviated the name of the band and used '1D' as a shorter way of expressing their name to their fans. This is a good idea as it can be used in many different ways with the band, for example on merchandise that they make. The idea that there is colour within the logo shows the band to be upbeat and represents their genre of a pop band. The font is simple and easily read, with the font being underlined and bold showing the importance of the band and how their are of the pop genre. 

The colours that are used for the band logo are simple black and white colours, showing how the band are simple, however the whit makes the white name of the band stand out to the audience on the black background. The text is presented in a way that makes the actual name of the band seem exciting to the audience by the way that the text looks different to other logos. This is due to the genre being alternative, therefore the font needs to be presented in an alternative way. The simple black and white colours with no pictures make sure that the focus of the audience is always only on the name of the band as they are what is most important here. 

The logo for Robbie Williams is presented again in a simple black and white way, that shows the audience who the artist is. The way that the logo is presented in a circle shows that the artist is exciting and upbeat as it is different from those in other genres. This shows the audience that the artist is in the pop genre. The artist's name has been abbreviated which is good as he will be able to use this many different ways on different things that he wants to represent him, for example, merchandise. Also, with this abbreviation which is different from others, with a star in the centre, the audience will immediately know who the artist is as they will associate the logo with the artist himself. 

This band logo is very bold and large. The capitals letters used emphasises the dominance of the band and how they are powerful. From the band logo the genre is clear that they are rock as the sharp and jagged fonts are a convention of rock band logos and conotes loudness and galant. The colour of the font is black which is very simple however is easily noticeable and readable to the audience, the black writing on a white background also emphasises this. 

Oasis' band logo is very simple and easily readable. The use of the lower case letters conotes that the band are easy listening and that the emphasis and the importance of the band should be on the music and not on their image. An uncaring and rebellious vibe is created as it shows the band do not care about what people think about them and they just want people to listening to their music. The use of black bold font on a white background emphasises their importance and makes the logo stand out, the use of italics emphasises this further.  

Kiss' band logo is very bold and protrusive, this reflects their genre which is rock. The use of the flames is a convention of rock and roll, rebellion and danger which is mirrored within the lyrics. The black background with the orange and red flames creating the outline of the text emphasises the bands dominance and how they want to stand out from other bands. The use of capital letters and the distorted 'S' shows how they've added their own personal touch to the logo and become distinctive.

Queens band logo is very protrusive and bold yet again. The use of the lions, eagles and crowns are connotations of being a "Queen" and how they are classed as royalty and best of the best. The bands name on the logo "QUEEN" is smaller than the images used, however this does not distract peoples attention from the band as their name is emphasised further with the use of the logos. The print of the font is bold and in capital letters, the use of the red colour connotes power and royalty. The overall colour pallet used throughout is rich reds, oranges and yellows which are all very intrusive on the eye and easily noticeable. 

The New Inventions band logo is very bold and this is created by the use of changing the angle of the fonts and using one letter for 2-3 different words. The font and design of the logo reflects the genre of the band which is energetic 3-piece alt-rock band. The colour of the logo is a faded yellow/gold with the inside of the lettering being bold and black with a slight shadow created. The shadow created connotes their dominance and power which the band hold. The different angles of the logos and the way same letters have to be used creates an energetic feel which reflects their genre.  

Conclusion

From analysing various band logos the main conventions are for the logos to be in a bold font which is easily readable yet simple. The use of black writing on a white background emphasises the bands/artists dominance and is a common convention. When creating the logo for our artist I shall make the font black as it is easily readable and stands out, as this is a common convention our target audience will be expecting this.

Band logos for our genre
I have also done research of band logos of a similar genre to our artist which is indie pop.

Kate Nash is an indie pop artist (which our song Foundations is originally recorded by.) The use of white background and black font is a typical band logo convention and the font is easily readable and hand written which adds the artists personal touch. 

Ellie Goulding is an artist of the indie pop genre. Her logo is also black font on a white background however she has an "Illuminati-like" image above her name which is her initials inside a triangle with a circle around them. By Ellie Goulding having her name spelt out clearly in a black bold font and an image before her name it makes her easily noticeable and obtrusive. The image above her name will also be remembered easily as it stands out from other artists. 

Lorde is yet again an artist of the indie pop genre. Her logo is black bold writing based on a white background which is a common convention from the research which we have been doing. The font used is easily readable and her name is spelt in capital letters. By doing this it shows her dominance and highlights her stardom and how her name should be the main interest of the audiences attention.

Conclusion
Overall the band logos of my indie pop genre are black bold font based on a white background, this allows the writing to be easily readable and stand out. No photos or bright colours are used to create a simplistic vibe and not drag the attention away from the artist. All the conventions above shall be adapted when creating out band logo to make the indie pop genre clear to the audience. 

Design an artist logo

We have designed a logo for our artist in a hand written black bold font, circled free hand to emphasise the initials of the artist. The use of the small love heart at the end of the initials is part of our brand image and will allow audiences to recognise the artist. The love heart shall also be used on the merchandise and throughout the digipak/advert to make our artist recognizable.  

Appropriate Record Label

When out artist releases her song we will need an appropriate record label for her to be signed to. For example IFPI is a record label which signs new and upcoming artists, this is a realistic choice of record label as our artist is releasing her first song therefore her fan base will be smaller than other artists therefore an "introductory" label will be used. IFPI specialises in young artists and helps promote their music. Nimbit gives facilities for independent musicians to release their music independently. Examples which are signed to Nimbit are Rusted Root and The Dead Milkmen. Magnatune is an independent record label which originally sold artists songs on the internet via download however now CDs can be printed in 2004 and in 2007 albums were sold through the major hit website www.amazon.co.uk. Magnatune was the first independent record label to sell music online and has helped many artists become famous and gain a large fan base. Independiente is a record label based in the uk specialising in independent artists. Examples of artists signed to this independent record label is Travis and David Ford.In my opinion I believe Independiente is the most appropriate record label for our artist as it is UK based and specialises in the genre of music which our artist sings. 

Stockists which could distribute our albumShellshock is a disributing company of independent artists located in the UK in London. The website www.shellshock.co.uk allows people to listen and download new music on line. It allows people to search for the genre which they want to listen to and has a list of New and Upcoming artists which the website believe will become successful. The Wire is another distributing company for independent artists. The Wire produces a monthly magazine introducing new acts and includes photos, small interviews and places to listen and go watch the new artist. The Wire also has an online website which allows people to listen to the new artists, watch videos, subscribe to the magazine, found out extra information about the artists and emails people a monthly news letter about new artists and who is "Hot Right Now." Cargo Records is another UK music distributor based purely online. It has signed people such as Black Moth and Further which are both indie pop artists like our artist is. Cargo Records allows people to see who is new and what their records sound like. Extra information and galleries can also be found on the website of recent photoshoots which the artist has done. In my opinion I believe Cargo Records is the most appropriate stockist to distribute our album as popular indie pop artists like our artist Fearne Piper have claimed fame and a large fan base through this distribution company. This distribution company also pushes the artist forward to get onto hit programmes such as MTVs new upcoming artists and local festivals. A large factor which will push distribution further is the fact they use social media to gain more fans whereas other Stockists do not rely as heavily on social media.Our artist will also distribute their music on the website YouTube which is a website which video footage is uploaded on to. Indie pop artists which have claimed fame from YouTube are Lewis Watson and Gabrielle Aplin who are both now major artists with large fanbases. www.8tracks.com shall also be used to distribute our music as it is an online website which allows people to upload music and create their own playlist. 8 tracks has over 3 million views per month and has helped many independent artists gain popularity.    

 

NME worst album covers

1. Arctic Monkeys

This album cover from Arctic monkeys with the album 'suck it and see' can be analysed and too simplistic. The fact that they name of the artist is not on the cover of this album gives the audience no indication of who the album belongs to, therefore the consumer has no information on who they are listening to. There is also no image to accompany the album, therefore it is not particularly pleasing to the eye. Also, the simple cream coloured background with black writing may fit into the genre of the album, however the writing is small and is accompanied by nothing else on the cover, therefore making it boring to look at. 

2. Tom Jones

This album cover from Tom Jones with the album 'A-Tom-Ic' can be analysed and too cheesy. Despite the fact that he is of the Pop-rock genre, the pun in the title of the album mixed with his name is too cheesy, meaning the consumer will not take the album seriously and therefore will not buy the album. The name of the album and the artist are involved on the front cover of the album, however if the audience were not aware of the artist, they may get confused of the name of the artist or the album. Also, the image on the front cover adds to the name of the album, therefore we can relate to the album, however this still comes across as cheesy due to the fact that the artist is on the front cover reacting to the explosion. 

3. The Cranberries

This album cover from The Cranberries with 'Bury The Hatchet' can be analysed and too boring and simplistic. The cover has a lot of bright colours, therefore can be catching to the eye, however there is no indication to who the album is by or what the album is called due to there being no name of the album or artist. This gives the consumer no indication to who they are listening to or what they are buying. Also, the image on the cover of the album can be offensive to some people, as the image gives off the idea that a naked man is being watched. This may make some people feel uncomfortable as a consumer. Also, the image on the front has nothing to do with the image, therefore the consumer will not relate the image to the artist or the album, therefore seeing it as pointless. 

4. Hard-Fi

This album cover from Hard-Fi with 'Once Upon A Time In The West' can be analysed as too boring. The cover has a bright background with simple black and white bold text, therefore showing how it stands out to the audience. However, despite the fact that we are told on the front cover who the album belongs to and and what the name of the album is, there is no image to accompany this text. Instead, we are shown a section of bold text saying 'No Cover Art', giving the consumer the impression that the artist can't be bothered with creating an image for the album. This gives off a negative impression to the consumer as they will assume that due to the fact that the artist can not be bothered to create an image to go on their cover, they may not be bothered to make music etc, therefore the consumer will not want to continue listening to the artist or going to see them in concerts etc. 

In conclusion, I have found that many of these album covers try to be simplistic and not have too much going on on the cover, however some feel the need to have too much on, making it an eye sore for the audience. In order to get the right balance between too much and too little on the album cover, we need to include the name of the artist, the name of the album, and atleast an image on the cover, whether it be a picture of the artist or a picture that related to the name of the album. This will make the consumer want to purchase the product and will continue listening to the artist. 

Adverts

The typography used on this advert is a bubble font showing the artists name. This type of font is a convention of a pop genre as it is bright, bubbly and protrusive. The colour of the artists name is a bright red/pink on a white background which allows the colour and the text to stand out making the artists name the most prominent on the advert which is the selling point. In smaller bubble font under the artists name is the album name "One of the Boys." The colour of this is a pale blue causing it not to stand out as much as the name of the album isn't whats important it is the artist who is releasing it. A small photo of the album cover is used underneath the album name. This allows the audience when looking at the advert to know what to buy/download. The album cover is set in the same scene as the advert itself creating synergy, this causes the advert to look professional and shows how hard work has been put in for it all to work together. Underneath the photo of the album cover is bold white text which stands out from the background, the text shows the number 1 smash hit of the album "I Kissed A Girl" and the date in which the album is released. The date in which the album is released is an important convention of an advert as it allows the potential buyers to know the release. The language used is very chatty yet informative. On the left side of the advert is Katy Perry in short revealing clothing in bright colours. This allows Katy Perry to stand out on the advert and highlight her stardom and beauty. The colour of the clothes she wears is pink and purple and the top has red love hearts on. The use of this clothing comes as a contrast to the album name which is "One of the Boys" as the image used completely contrasts against this. The background is a simple garden with a paddling pool creating a playful and innocent vibe. By the photo of the artist taking up half of the advert shows how the attention is on her and emphasises that she is the artist.

The typography used in this avdert is edgy and in capital letters. The artists name "Rihanna" is shown on a black background in a white font slightly off angle. The use of the white font on a black ground causes Rihannas name to stand out and is the main focus of the advert as this is the selling point. Underneath Rihannas name is "the new album feat" on a black background and white font yet smaller than the artists name to not distract the audiences focus and make her name prominent. In a bold red font 2 of her hit singles are shown "Russian Roulette" and "Hard." The use of these songs being shown on the advert creates synergy with the album name which is Rated R as this means explicit which the song titles connote to. On the top half of the advert is a picture of Rihanna in black and white wearing dark clothes. The use of make up and mise en scene causes the advert to look grunge and rebellious yet again creating synergy with the album name. In the top right corner above Rihannas shoulder an R is written/scratched in a black font. The R stands for both Rihanna and the album name causing the advert to link together. On the bottom right corner of the advert in a small font the producers and advert artwork company is used in small writing which is hardly readable for the audience. This is used to keep the attention on Rihanna and not distract the audiences focus. 

Plan B's advert is different from the previous 2 adverts I have analysed and his looks like it has been ripped out of a newspaper. The background is black and in bold, red, capital letters PLAN B is shown at the top half of the advert. This allows the audiences attention to be focused immediately on the artists name which is the selling point. The use of the red causes the artists name to be prominent and red connotes dominance power which is what the advert is trying to sell Plan B as. In a smaller, bold, white font the album name is shown how ever the words are split up into separate lines. Plan B has done this so when the audience read the album name it sounds much more powerful and a sense of domination is achieved. On Plan Bs advert reviews of his album are shown from a variety of different influential news papers and journalists all rating high stars. This has been included on the advert to encourage people to buy the album and emphasise how good it is. In the bottom left corner a small photo of the album cover of his album is used to show the audience what they are looking for when they are about to buy. 

The Kings of Leon advert is very unique and different from the previous adverts I have analysed. The main focus of the advert is the image used in the centre and not the artists name.The image used morphs an owl and the 4 different band members of Kings of Leon into one picture. This adds the bands own personal touch by being included in the image as well as an owl. The use of an owl being photographed creates synergy with the album title "only by the night" as owls come out at night.  An effect is used on the advert to make it look like a camera recorder effect because in the top left of the screen a red flashing light is shown. The colours used on the photo are a tinted green/sepia colour as if the camera is filming in "nightmode" making the effect of the camera recorder more realistic and easier for the audience to notice. The image used on the advert is also the album cover, this is not a common convention as normally a variety of different shots are used to promote the album. At the very top of the advert the bands name is printed in a white bold font in capital letters. The text used is very simple and is printed on a black background to make it easily readable and stand out to the audience. Towards the bottom of the advert the album name is shown "Only by the night" in a lime green colour, this creates synergy with the colour of the image used and adds to the camera recorder effect. The date the album is released is shown in capital letters at the bottom of the advert in a red colour, the use of the colour red allows the audience to see how it stands out on the black background and connotes power. At the very bottom of the advert in a lime green colour is the albums producer and the advert art work company. The use of the lime green allows the audience to see text is written there however due to the small font is not easily noticeable and the attention is not taken away from the band.

Ellie Gouldings advert creates a very mystical vibe and stands out. The main focus of the advert is the artist herself Ellie Goulding as she takes up 3/4 of the advert. The photograph of her is taken in a close up showing her looking away in the distance. Her hair is the prominent feature of the photo which is then highlighted by a gold shine, this creates synergy with the album name lights as the gold shine in her hair can be interpreted as a form of light. In the centre of the advert is the artists name Ellie Goulding written in capital letters with a gold shine same as what is in her hair. This allows the artist name to stand out and yet again a form of synergy is created. The album name is written underneath the artists name in a smaller version of the font, this is the same as all the other adverts I have analysed as the main focus should be on the artist as they are the selling point. The bottom half of the advert shows reviews of the album like Plan Bs had from influential reporters. This allows the audience to gain unbiased and truthful opinions of the album from a variety of people with different tastes. In smaller font the album producer and advert artwork is shown yet again as not to distract the audiences attention. 

Conclusion
From the adverts we have analysed we have concluded that our artist should be the main focus of the advert, and the photograph is in most cases taken in a close up. This allows the artists beauty to be enhanced and their stardom emphasised. The font and colour creates synergy with the colours used in the photo of the artist. When creating our advert, we shall include all of the above conventions as this will make our genre clear to the audience and will attract our target audience and create a potential wider fan base. 

Advert Conventions

• Release date of the album - this convention is particularly important as it allows the consumer to know when the album is going to be available for them to purchase. 
• Album title - This convention allows the audience to know the name of the album that they will be looking for when purchasing it, but also will allow the audience to get a feel for the album and what the music will be like from the name of the album
• Image of the album cover - This is a common convention that is used on album adverts as the audience will want to know who they will be listening to. The image will give the audience an idea of who they will be listening to. This is predominantly what is shown on the advert as it allows the consumer to know what the album will look like when purchasing it.
• Artist's name - possibly one of the most important conventions on the advert. This is the selling point of the advert and allows the audience to gain knowledge of the album and the genre of the music which is being released.
• Where it is available - this is an important convention as it allows the consumer to know where they will be able to find the album. This will inform the audience of where they will firstly be able to get the album when it is first released. 
• Record label logo - shown in small letters at the bottom of the advert. This allows the audience to gain knowledge of the who the album is supported by. However it is a common convention for the print to be small as this does not distract the attention away from the artist and the selling point of the advert. 
• Quotes/reviews - quotes and reviews are commonly used on the advert of an album as it gives the consumer an impression of what other people think of the album. For example, if an album is rated 5 stars by the Daily Mail, they will assume that it is good due to the newspaper rating it highly. This will make the consumer engage in the advert, and if they read on to see some of the quotes by the artist, they will want to listen for themselves to see if they agree with the comment. 
• Common theme - same synergy of the music video - shown on the adverts and create synergy with the themes in the music videos. For example Ellie Goulding's advert colour "lights" is linked to the music video of her song lights as her hair is lit up both in the music video and the advert and her hair and make up matches. This allows the audience to see the link between advert and music video and piece together that it is the same artist. By creating synergy it also can make the music video more popular and help sell the album. 

Analysis of genre appropriate album adverts 

Kate Nash - Made of Bricks The main focus of the advert is the artist name Kate Nash. The typography is a bold white print which looks hand written, this adds a personal touch to the advert. This typography is easily readable and stands out as it is printed on a deep blue background. In the same font yet smaller is the album name "Made of bricks" this is easily readable for the audience however it is not as noticeable as the artist name as the artist name is the selling point and not the album name. In the centre of the advert the release date is printed in a different more simple font yet quite large. This informs the audience as to the release date and this is important to be used on an advert as it helps sell.   Underneath the album name the single "Foundations" is clearly shown. This single is one of Kate Nash' biggest hits therefore people who enjoy this single will most likely enjoy the album therefore gaining a larger audience of potential buyers. The images used on the advert are similar to Kate Nashs music video for Foundations with the cartoon effects being used. The use of primary colours is shown, this is part of Kates brand image and creates synergy between the album cover, advert and her music videos. In very small print on the bottom left of the advert is the record label name, production company and the company which make the advert artwork. 

My View -In my opinion I like how Kate Nash' advert stands out and the use of primary colours supports her brand image and makes her easily noticeable and recognisable. I like the font used for the artist name and how a hand written effect is created, I like this as I believe it is quirky and adds the artists own personal touch to the advert. I like the idea of having the release date shown on our advert as it allows the audience to know when the album is available to them and will help prevent people forgetting about the album and not buying it. I don't like how there is not a picture of the album on the advert, this may cause people to struggle finding the album as they do not know what to look for when buying the album. In my opinion I would also add a review off an influential news papers or journalist as this may encourage people to buy the album and shows an unbiased opinion. 

Gabrielle Aplin - English Rain The main focus of this advert is not the artists name but the artist herself. A long shot is used to show Gabrielle running with an umbrella in a desolate area, the use of this photo connotes freedom and peaceful which reflects the music in her album. At the top of the advert black bold capital letters is used saying the artists name, this is easily readable and noticeable therefore will capture the audiences attention and make them become aware of who the artist is. In smaller letters underneath the artist name is the album name. This is written in a hand writing-like font in italics, this is an indie pop convention as it looks like the artist has added their own personal touch onto the advert. The album name "English rain" and the photo of the artist create synergy as she is holding an umbrella and an umbrella is linked with rainfall. The bottom half of the advert gives a lot more information of the album. For example the release date which is written in capital letters in a large font. This is so her target audience are made aware of when the album is coming out and may potentially gain an even bigger audience. In smaller letters underneath the release date is tracks which are included on the album. The tracks which are stated are popular tracks off her album which people will recognise as they have been played on the radio and on tv adverts. People who like this song may then feel encouraged and want to buy the album as they enjoy her style of music therefore increasing potential sales and the advert fulfilling its purpose. In a smaller font towards the bottom of the advert it shows how you can listen to the album on CD and vinyl. At the very bottom of the advert Gabrielle Aplins own website address is shown, this will encourage people to go on her website and find out more information about her which may then encourage even more sales. 

My View - In my opinion I really like this advert. I like how the photograph of the artist is the main focus of the advert and creates synergy with the album name too. The use of the faded pastel colours is an indie pop genre and also reflects the music which is on the album as the colours are very soft and peaceful. I like how the advert shows what you can listen to the album on and I like the idea that you an listen to the album on vinyl as this is individual and is a convention of an indie pop artist. Personally I would make the release date stand out more as this may increase sales and is also a very important convention of the advert.

Florence and the Machine - Lungs The main focus of this advert is both the picture of the artist and the album name. This goes against a common convention of an advert as normally the artist name is the main focus and not the album name as the artists name is the selling point. The typography used is a bold white print for the album name in capital letters on a black background, this makes the album name easily noticeable and prominent. Whereas the artist name is a hand written like font which is a typical indie pop convention, the font is a bold white on a black background yet again making it stand out. The photograph of the artist looks like a painting and creates synergy with the album name lungs as lungs are shown in the photograph. Underneath the album name the release date is shown in an italic white font. This allows the target audience to prepare themselves for when the album is released and encourages people to buy the album. Hit singles which are on the album are shown in a small white font on a black background. People who like the hit singles may then buy the album as they like the genre of music in which the artist produces. On this advert it shows what forms the album can be listened on, the variety which is listed can create a wider audience of listeners for the album. In a smaller font at the bottom of the advert the artists website address is shown, this may also create a wider audience and given the audience exclusive photographs and interviews with the artist. In the bottom right corner of the advert the record label logo is shown and the album artwork, this is easily readable to the audience when looking at the advert close up however does not take the attention away from the artist who is the selling point.

My view - In my opinion I like this advert the least out of the adverts I have analysed. I dislike how the album name is more noticeable than the artists name as the artist is the selling point as some people may feel mislead and believe "lungs" is the artists name which could prevent sales if no one recognised the artist. However I do like the use of white font on a black background as it is easily readable and helps emphasise the album name and artist name and highlight their stardom. I also like how the album name and the photograph used created synergy and mirror eachother. 

Marina and the Diamonds - The Family Jewels The main focus of the advert is the artist herself shot in a close up. This allows the audience to recognize her beauty and highlight her stardom. The artists name is written in a bold white font which allows it to stand out from the advert and grab the audiences attention. The font used is in a hand written-like style which from the previous adverts I have analysed is now a common convention of an indie pop genre. In the same font yet smaller is the album name "The Family Jewels", this stands out from the advert yet does not take the attention and main focus away from the artists name as she is the selling point. Towards the bottom half of the advert a photo of the album cover is shown, this is a convention of an advert as it allows the audience to know what they are looking for when buying the album and can potentially boost sales. In a small bold print font is a list of her popular released songs which feature on the album, people who may not recognize the appearance of the artist or the artist name may recognize the tracks on the advert which they like therefore encouraging them to buy the album. In a bold pink font (same as the artist name and album yet in a different colour) the words Shampain are written. This is Marinas new single off the album, by putting the song title on the advert for her album it helps promote both, in smaller letters underneath Shampain "OUT NOW ON ITUNES" is shown. This allows the audience to know where they are able to listen to the track first and help promote and sell Marinas new single and album. The bottom right of the advert is Marinas website address, production company and advert artwork, this is easily readable to the audience however does not take the attention away from Marina who is the selling point and the main focus of the advert. 

Conclusion
this research will help us to see what should be used and included. for example, you can clearly tell the genre from the advert which creates synergy through the use of colours, fonts and props. I now feel more confident in creating an advert for out indie pop artist. 

Album advert genre conventions

• release date
• singles from the album
• artist being main focus
• photo creating synergy with album name
• colours that match with the album - faded/vintage/retro
• handwritten

Brand identity research of artists in your genre

Gabrielle Aplin

• Born 10th October 1992
• British singer song writer
• Gained attention from posting acoustic covers of songs on YouTube
• 2012 record deal Parlophone
• Released album English Rain

Website:
http://www.gabrielleaplin.co.uk/

Merchandise: 
Gabrielle has no merchandise available however on her website is a free download link to one of her hit singles Please Don't Say You Love Me. 









Logo:

News Articles:
1)  http://www.stereoboard.com/content/view/188195/9

2) http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/meet-the-john-lewis-christmas-advert-singers-from-gabrielle-aplin-to-lily-allen-and-tom-odell-9843585.html

3) http://www.musicradar.com/news/guitars/12-ways-to-make-it-big-on-youtube-with-your-music-609839

Representation:
Gabrielle Aplin is represented to be very clean and innocent. In all news articles her hardwork and purity are shown. For example how Gabrielle "made herself famous" by posting her own videos online of acoustic covers when she was younger. There are now step by step guides to become like Gabrielle and how she claimed her fame showing she is a role model to younger people. Gabrielle is always dressed very casual and sophisticated. The clothing she wears is never revealing or over dressed and this emphasizes her youth and creates synergy with the music which she creates. Gabrielle is mainly photographed in white/pastel colour clothing, yet again this emphasizes her youth and innocence and makes her seem very girly. From the research which I have done I have not been able to find any bad press over Gabrielle, all journalists and influential reporters discuss how she is so youthful and fresh faced and how she is the perfect role model. Fonts used when promoting Gabrielle are a bold easily readable font such as Courier or a small hand written-style font in italics, both of these fonts are conventions of an indie pop genre.


Taylor Swift

• Born December 13th 1989
• American singer-song writer
• Record label signed with - Big Machine
• Gained fame since 2004

Website: 
www.taylorswift.com

Merchandise:
Taylor Swift has a link on her website to her own personal store. On this store merchandise is sold such as her own style of trainers called Keds. Tshirts, jumpers, hoodys, vests, athletic-wear are also available with her face or well known popular lyrics from her recent hits.
Taylor Swifts music can be brought directly from her website and her albums and singles can be distributed to many countries or downloaded instantly onto hardware. 

Logo:

News Articles:

1) http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2841666/Taylor-Swift-pals-ex-Harry-Styles-heard-songs-relationship-new-album.html

2) http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/6320061/taylor-swift-blank-space-hot-100

3) http://www.glamourmagazine.co.uk/news/celebrity/2014/11/11/everything-you-need-to-know-about-sean-opry-from-taylor-swift-blank-space-music-video

Representations:
Taylor is represented to be very innocent and girly however very involved with boys and relationships. From the research I have done it seems Taylors relationship status seems to be more important than her music and the basis of all her songs. Whereas when researching Gabrielle there was no talk of her relationship status, this may be due to how famous Taylor Swift is and how people want to know a lot more about her life than they would with Gabrielle. Taylor Swifts new album 1989 is also very popular in the news and how she has "broken chart history" her talent is recognized widely and she has had chart success with 8 tracks of hers being Number 1 in many countries for consecutive weeks. Taylor is usually dressed in white coloured clothing and a red lipstick, this seems to be her iconic look. However Taylor can also be seen in very bright coloured clothing as this emphasises her indie-pop genre music and how some of her songs are very happy and expressive. The font generally associated with Taylor Swift is similar to Gabrielles as she also uses a hand written-style font in the colour black on a white background, this allows the words to stand out and become easily readable. 

Ellie Goulding

• Born 30th December 1986
• English singer-song writer
• Labels - Neon Gold, Cherrytree, Polydor, Interscope
• Years of fame 2008-present

Website:

www.elliegoulding.com

Merchandise:

On Ellie Gouldings website, like Taylor Swifts is a link to her own personal store selling merchandise. Merchandise available on this store is her albums and past hit singles, posters, download links to songs, tshirts, jumpers, wristbands and bags. Many of the merchandise has her logo printed on however some famous lyrics and images of herself are also available on some items. 

Logo:

News articles:

1) http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2841574/Ellie-Goulding-cuts-unusally-low-key-figure-long-black-coat.html

2) http://www.express.co.uk/news/showbiz/537288/Ellie-Goulding-Thandie-Newton-The-ONE-Campaign

3) http://www.capitalfm.com/artists/ellie-goulding/news/instaoke/

Representations:

Ellie Goulding is represented to be very happy and have a kind heart. Many of the news articles I have read show how Ellie Goulding is very involved with charities for example helping "fight" the Ebola outbreak. This shows Ellie Goulding in an innocent and sweet way and helps wider her audience as many people will look up to her because she is like this and see her to be a role model. However Ellie Goulding is also criticized in many news articles by the clothes she wears as many believe they are too revealing for example she was seen wearing small shorts which were according to the article "cheeky" and a studded crop top, this is not the ideal role model people want their children to look up to therefore some journalists criticize Ellie for this and look down on her. Ellie Gouldings relationship with McFly band member Dougie Poynter is frequently in the press as being one of the "sweetest relationships ever." Some people will interpret this to show Ellie being loveable and mature to hold a serious relationship however some journalists have said she is putting him before her career making her look less focused and dominant in the music industry.

Marina and the Diamonds 

• Born 10th October 1985
• Welsh singer and song writer
• Labels - Neon Gold, 679, Atlantic, Chop Shop, Electra
• Gained fame since 2005-present

Website:

www.marinaandthediamonds.com

Merchandise:

On Marinas website their is a link to her own store. On the store Marina sells similar products to Ellie Goulding and Taylor Swift such as selling her album on their, jumpers, tshirts and hats. Marina keeps her merchandise up to date and is now selling all her FROOT merchandise which is the name of her new album. 

Logo:

News Articles:

1) http://www.nme.com/news/marina-and-the-diamonds/81009

2) http://www.thenationalstudent.com/Music/2014-10-27/Hear_This_Marina_and_the_Diamonds__Froot.html

3) http://www.musictimes.com/articles/15712/20141114/marina-diamonds-announces-next-album-froot-come-scratch-n-sniff.htm

Representation:

All articles which I have read about Marina show the hard work in which she has put into her music and how she is dedicated to her job. From the research which I have done I have not found any other articles about Marina aside from promoting her new and old albums. This shows Marina to be seen as "clean" as there is no bad press about her therefore showing she is a good role model. Marina is usually shown dressed in very old fashioned and sophisticated clothing with a slight inspiration of the model Twiggy. This causes Marina to become very unique and stand out from the other artists and make her individual. The font and colours generally associated with Marina is big bubble font in bright colours such as red or pink as this shows her "pop" side of the genre however due to her appearance and the music in which she sings she also can be classed as an indie artist. 

Conclusion

Overall from completing the brand identity task we have concluded that the majority of indie pop artists have a hand written style logo to add their own personal touch onto the logo. The colours used for the logo are black font on a white background, this allows the text to be easily readable and stand out. Merchandise available is all very similar and mainly aimed at the female gender. Many tshirts and hoodies are available on their own personal store which is linked through their website, the colours used for the merchandise are bright colours on a black background to allow the text to stand out and the merchandise to become noticeable and unique. The artists face/logo is commonly shown on the merchandise as they are the selling point and will help promote their music. On the majority of the artists websites black font on a white background, this allows the text shown to be easily readable and stand out. However on Marina and the Diamonds website the background is black with bright colours used as the font, this made her website stand out from the other websites which i have analysed and be distinctive. From analysing news articles on the artist they are all shown to be proud of their music and music is their life and they want to entertain people and send their own personal message across to fans. When creating our artist's brand identity, we shall make our logo a black font on a white background, then merchandise shall have our artist's face/love heart from the logo on, and links to her website shall be easily accessible. The website which we create will be black font on a white background. The News articles which we would want written about our artist would want to make her look 'clean' and show the hardwork which goes into her music and the creation of her album. 

Brand image of your chosen artist:

In our planning tasks we decided the brand image we wanted our artist to create. We took inspiration from Kate Nash, Ellie Goulding and Gabrielle Aplin. Parts of Kate Nash which we said we would adapt was the bright colours/primary colours and cartoon effects, however now we have decided not to add cartoon effects in as it will be too similar to Kate Nash's album and we want our album cover to be a photograph of the artist. We were also going to use a cartoon-style font like Kate Nash does however now we want an italic hand written style font as we believe it allows the artist to add their own personal touch to the album. For the photograph of the artist we have taken inspiration from Ellie Goulding because in photographs of her we like how she looks effortlessly glamorous and bohemian. We still agree that we would like to adapt Gabrielle Aplins brand image of our artist being innocent and girly as we believe this creates a good role model and makes the artist look clean and admirable. We also still want to adapt the simple props onto the album cover for example pastel coloured balloons like Gabrielle Aplin uses. We want to use this as this is a convention of the indie pop genre. In the media we want our artist to emphasise her hard work which goes into her music, how she wants to send her own personall message and touch across to her fans and inspire others to musicians.

Names:

Here is ideas of some names which we may decide to call our artist. When thinking of these names we have gained inspiration from other indie pop artists. The names we suggested have been shared with our target audience and their opinions on the names have been expressed. 

Conclusion

The task which we were given was to write a list of potential names for our artist which sounded suitable for the indie pop genre. The feedback which we gained from our target audience allowed us to conclude that we would call our artist Fearne Piper as it was our target audience's favourite and everyone believed it targeted the teen audience. Whereas other names such as Poppy and Naomi, were believed to be too stereotypical and it did not match our artist's genre of music. We believe that Fearne Piper sounded a realistic name for our artist and it is easy for the audience to remember. 

Team Meeting

Notes from team meeting:

Conclusion from Team Meeting:

So overall the brand image for our artist is to have the use of bright primary colours, simple props, her to be the main image of the album cover and for her to come across as innocent and admirable to our audience. 

The name we have chosen for our artist is Fearne Piper as we believe it sounds like an indie pop artists name and will be remembered. The name for our album will be "Affinity" the definition of this is "a natural liking for an understanding of someone or something" OR "the degree to which a substance tends to combine with another." We have chosen this as our album will create synergy therefore a substance will combine with another. We also believe the word will be easily rememberable to people and can link with our tracklist as they are all love related. The logo for our artist will be black font of her name on a white background in a hand written style which is easily readable as from the research we have done this is a common convention of an indie pop female artist. At the end of her name we shall also add a hand written-style love heart. Our website shall be a white background with black font and our artists logo will be at the top of the page. In a smaller similar version of the font Affinity shall be written. We will put the album name in a smaller font as not to take away the attention from the artist and heighten her stardom further. On our website we shall have a download for free heading which will allow the audience to download the hit single Foundations to their laptop/computer/phones, we shall also have a store which our merchandise will be sold on. Merchandise which we will sell will be tshirts and hoodies with our artist name printed on. The heart at the end of the artists name will also feature on jewellery such as necklaces and rings as we believe our target audience will be interested in this and they will like it. Our artist will be presented to the media to be focused on her music and show her hardwork to the audience. We want our artist to seem friendly, down to earth and playful as we believe this will create the "perfect role model" for our viewers and she will become very admirable. 

Ten songs that will feature on your album:

1. Foundations
2. Infatuation
3. The attention from you
4. Tenderness
5. Run away with me
6. 17
7. Yours Faithfully,
8. In Your Eyes
9. Blue 
10. Never ending

Creating 4 digipak designs

1.

2.

3.

4.

Feedback about digipak designs

Final digipak design

When creating our digipak we included the primary colours throughout as this is part of our artists brand image and what we want our target audience to recognise her for. We have used digipak conventions such as the front image being primarily the artist, as this enhances her stardom and showcases themselves. The CD has also been decorated showing the album name on the CD in primary colours as this creates synergy with the brand image and the colours throughout the digipak. The tracklist is shown clearly on the back of the digipak and is numbered to make the songs easily found for the listeners. The back of the tracklist also has a faded image behind it of the sky with clouds which is used throughout the digipak, the similar images creates synergy and shows how the digipak links together. Visual presentation is continuous throughout so the audience can grasp the theme and genre of the album, this is proved by the images on the front cover and on the other folds of the album and the colours which are used throughout to support the brand image of the artist and create synergy. Barcode is found on the back of the digipak underneath the tracklist, this is a common convention and is found on nearly all digipaks. Record label is found on the back of the digipak as not to drag the attention of the audience away from the artist however will give the audience extra information if necessary. Copyright information is also found on the back of the digipak where the tracklist is created as this follows legal guidelines. Website link is yet again found on the back of the digipak, the links shown are for the record label and artists website as this will help sell merchandise and promote the artist and their record label.The name of the artist is the main convention of a digipak as it highlights their stardom and is the selling point of the digipak, it show the consumers whos digipak they are buying and will help improve sales. The name of the album is shown on the front cover and on the CD this is a promotional feature and will create synergy with the songs in the tracklist. Secondary images is found throughout the digipak of the artist and images which create synergy with the music videos and is a typical genre convention for example we have outdoor images as the outdoors is frequently used in our music video for Foundations. The spine contains the name of the CD, album and artist, this helps yet again promote the artist and their new release. The primary colours have also been used on the spines as this is part of the artists brand image. Information booklet is found within the digipak, this gives additional information on the artist and a booklet containing the lyrics to help encourage people to listen to the album more and feel closer with the artist.

Initial ideas for digipak adverts

1.

I have decided to use the front cover of the digipak as the main image on the advert, as i feel that this not only shows the audience what the will be buying, but it will also act as synergy with our digipak design. I decided that as this image is the main image, it will allow the audience to see what the album will look like when it is released, and they will have an idea as to what they are looking for. The release date is also put on this advert, as to inform the audience of when and where it will be available for then to purchase the artist's album. This is shown in bright blue writing, as we want the audience to know when it is being released, therefore it needs to stand out. I have also included critics reviews/quotes from reviews so that the audience can have a professional opinion of what the album sounds like, therefore they can decide whether or not they wish to purchase the album. The rating is also added, so that the audience will further want to buy the album, due to it being given a higher rating. The name of the album is clearly displayed on this advert as though it would be on the digipak, so as to inform the audience of what it is they will be looking for if they decide that they want to purchase or download the album. The name of the artist is also displayed clearly at the top of the advert as though it would be on the digipak, therefore this shows an advert convention as well as a genre convention, as it is displayed in simple handwritten writing with the small artist's symbol of a heart written next to it. the record label is clearly displayed in the bottom corner of the advert, as I feel that this is an important convention to be included within the advert. I overlooked the idea of adding the website link. Despite the fact that this is an advert convention, I felt that this wasn't an important convention to be included. 

I decided that this would be an appropriate advert for our artist to release her album, as it includes a long shot in the simple background/area of a wide space next to a tree. This simple area acts as a suitable background for our indie pop genre and allows any text on the advert to be easily visible. The font used is a hand written style and the primary colours are used throughout to promote our brand image. The logo used is a red colour in a hand written italic font to both support our brand image and create a professional look on the advert. The quotes from influential newspapers and journalists help promote the advert and could boost potential buys. 

Jenny's designs:

The adverts which I have designed include pictures of the artist in different shots. The first advert shows a close up of the artists face as this will enhance her beauty and emphasise stardom. I am going to make the photo of her black and white but put her lips in a deep red colour as this is a primary colour and will link with the brand image. I have also made the album name stand out more than the artists name, I was inspired to do this by Florence and Machines advert for Lungs. The release date of the album is in number form, this causes the release date to be dominant. Having the release date on the advert is a convention of an album advert. On the first advert I have also included a review from an influential journalist rating high stars, this will attract a wider audience and may boost potential sales therefore help promote the album further, this is yet again another convention of an album advert. On the first advert I have also included where and how to access this album, this is yet again another convention as it gives customers the extra information they require. Record label, artists logo and album advert design is also available for the audience to see. 

On the second advert I have put the artists name larger than the album name Affinity as she is the selling point of the advert. For example Gabrielle Aplin does this on the front of her advert and she is of a similar genre to our artist. Her name is in a bright red bold font as is the album name to emphasise the importance of her name and could potentially boost sales. The use of red also supports the brand image. The release date is shown in a black bold font with the hit single also being mentioned on the advert. As our artist is new people may only recognise the song title and not her name therefore could help leas to more sales. The image of the album cover shows the artist with her guitar this creates synergy to the hard work she puts into the album and shows her interest in music, balloons are also shown in primary colours as this supports the brand image and the genre conventions. This idea was yet again inspired by Gabrielle Aplins advert where she is holding baloons in an outside environment. Production logo, album artwork and artists logo is also available on the bottom left corner, this gives the audience more knowledge into the artist and supports legal rules. 

On both adverts I overlooked putting the website link on the advert as I believe it is not as important as other conventions which needed to be included on the adverts.

Feedback from adverts

Conclusion

Overall our target audience liked the use of red lips which stand out from the album advert, the way the album was presented "Affinity by, Fearne Piper", use of close up shots to emphasise stardom, album cover being shown in small on the advert so the audience can recognise the look, the song which is featured on the album which is being sold persuasive critiques of the album. However our target audience believe we should consider toning down the colours and making them more sepia and vintage looking as this is a genre convention, links of the artists website so merchandise and the album can be purchased directly. 

Final design of advert:

Conclusion to final advert design.

We have concluded that for our final advert design the main center image will be a close up of the artist as this will enhance their stardom and emphasise their beauty. The colours used will be toned down using a sepia colour tone however the lips will be emphasised in a bright red colour as this is a primary colour and part of our brand image. In the top right corner an image of the album cover shall be shown, this will allow the audience to recognise the album when purchasing and may potentially boost sales. In an hand written-like font in the colour red as this is a primary colour and is yet again supporting our brand image "Affinity by Fearne Piper" will be clearly stated in the middle of the advert. We got this inspiration from Gabrielle Aplins advert as her font is a hand written styled font and is a convention of the indie pop genre. Affinity is the album name and the use of the words "by Fearne Piper" is a convention of an indie pop genre. In a smaller version of the hand wrriten like font "featuring hit single foundations" will also be shown in a black colour as this will stand out on the sepia toned colours. By this being featured on the advert it may potentially boost sales as people who do not recognise the album name or artist name may recognise the song which has been recently played therefore may potentially boost sales. 2 influential news paper/magazine reports have been shown on the advert rating high, this may yet again boost sales and it gives the audience exclusive information as to the quality of the album. We got this inspiration from analysing Ellie Gouldings advert where she also has news paper views. In small letters at the bottom of the advert the artists website link will be written clearly, this may encourage people to go onto her website and download the album/single or buy merchandise. It can also gain a wider fan base. On the bottom left of the advert the artists logo "fp" in a hand written like style in a black colour will be shown, this is iconic to the artist and will be individual to her and will be shown on all merchandise and singles she releases. We gained this idea from Marina and the Diamonds advert who has her logo always on merchandise and she is also of the indie pop genre. In a small font at the bottom right corner of the advert the record label and stockists who will distribute our album will be shown. This will give recognition to the companies however will not take the attention or stardom away from the artist.

Feedback:

Abbie - I think that the close up shot is too obtrusive and doesn't look like an indie pop genre advert.

Lauren - I think that the black and white makes the artist look too washed out and colour would look better to make her stand out. 

Advert first draft

Conclusion

Here is our first advert design. After reflecting back upon our research above we noticed that our advert swayed more to the pop genre than the indie pop genre due to the pink colouring which is not an indie pop convention. We also lacked primary colours which was part of our brand image. Our album name Affinity defines as - 

a natural liking for and understanding of someone or something. the degree to which a substance tends to combine with another. We believed that our advert did not create any synergy with the album name therefore we are going to design a new advert where the artist shows her affinity for music and shows the hardwork which she has put into her musical career. We are going to change the image of our artist to a long shot similar to Gabrielle Aplins who is also of the indie pop genre as this is a convention and will allow the artist to hold a prop of an acoustic guitar to show her affinity towards music and show the background scenery which we shall also photograph.