Magazine Advertisement

Designing this magazine advertisement, I added certain things that are used on most advertisements for albums to be able to make it look realistic and efficient. I used aspects such as a iTunes download symbol, logos in the left hand bottom corner to make it look legit and link to a record label, I also created a website name to make it look as though that’s the bands real website. I used Photoshop to create this magazine advertisement.

CD cover

Final CD cover

 

Back

 

 Front

Other edited ideas

This is my final design for my CD cover. To make it look realistic and professional, I added certain aspects of an average CD cover such as the parental advisory sign, and award sticker, a barcode on the back and also the text about rights and copyright laws. I consciously made a colour theme of red, black and white, which I’ve carried out through all of my 3 products.

Magazine Advertisement Plan

Planning Of CD Cover

Script/Lyrics

All along it was a fever
A cold sweat hot-headed believer
I threw my hands in the air and said show me something
He said, if you dare come a little closer

Round and around and around and around we go
Ohhh now tell me now tell me now tell me now you know

Not really sure how to feel about it
Something in the way you move
Makes me feel like I can't live without you
It takes me all the way
I want you to stay

It's not much of a life you're living
It's not just something you take, it's given
Round and around and around and around we go
Ohhh now tell me now tell me now tell me now you know

Not really sure how to feel about it
Something in the way you move
Makes me feel like I can't live without you
It takes me all the way
I want you to stay

Ohhh the reason I hold on
Ohhh cause I need this hole gone
Funny your the broken one but I'm the only one who needed saving
Cause when you never see the lights it's hard to know which one of us is caving

Not really sure how to feel about it
Something in the way you move
Makes me feel like I can't live without you
It takes me all the way
I want you to stay, stay
I want you to stay, ohhh 

CD Questionnaire Analysis

1 out of 10 of my successful  questionnaires filled out...

 

 

After the process of asking 10 people to fill out this questionnaire I analysed the results that I received. I found that this particular questionnaire was helpful because of the detailed and thorough answers given. When asking the question 'how do you think your favourite artist is represented via images?' they answered 'The lighting and make up helps to emphasise the best features of her face and body. It makes her look more attractive and sexy'. I used this to help create my CD cover by adding make up to my artists and and using the lighting effectively to get a clear picture making them look attractive.

 

I also asked 'How do you think r'n'b female artists should be represented and why?' they answered, 'They should be represented as strong/independent, beautiful and sexy women. I think your cover is great and suitable'. Using this I decided to not alter my CD cover plan very much as I already think I can gain  positive feedback from it.

CD cover questionnaire

CD COVER QUESTIONNAIRE

 



Secondary Research of CD Covers

CD 1: Lupe Fiasco- Food and liqour2

Visual

In this CD cover you can see no visual images which are unusual for an album. It makes the album intriguing and mysterious and will make audiences want to listen to it. The colour black symbolises power which gives the artist control of how you see his music and album. Using just a black background, shows that he wants people to judge him only by his music and not how he is visually represented. Also it shows that the artist is confident, focused and in-depth with his music and genre to be able to challenge audiences with his album cover. Although the album is very simple and may sometimes come across as un-recognisable, it holds a large message which draws people in.

Written

As well as having no visual images on the album, there are also little written aspects. All you are shown is the artists name in a plain font and is the largest font. I think that the artist intended the font to be simple and small because he wanted the cover to make a bigger impact than the writing. It also shows no hints or clues to what the songs that feature on the album sound like, which carries on the mysterious theme. You can see a sticker with the artist name and some of the songs included in the album, which some audiences may recognise and will make them interested in the album. Some of the text on the album is persuasive language used to encourage and persuade audiences to buy the CD; such as 'Brand new album'.

Technical

The all-black theme is carried out throughout the whole album with the front, inside, CD, back and inside booklet all showing no images or text but the colour black. This increases the intensity of the unknown and hides the artist’s identity, to be able to be judged just on the album music. Black represents simplicity, elegance, power and authority towards the artist.


CD 2: Outkast- The Love Below and Speakerboxxx

 FRONT

 BACK

 INSIDE 1ST CD

INSIDE 2ND CD

Visual

On the front of this CD you can see a large icon/logo of the group 'Outkast'. This logo is used amongst their group to be recognised by audiences. You can also see on the small white sticker, there is a Mobo award logo; this can show that they have received an award for this album which persuades people to buy it. The album is separated into 2 parts, Speakerboxxx and The Love Below. This creates interest in the album because most it is unusual and intriguing. On the back of the CD you can see an image of the main singer of 'The Love Below', Andre 3000. His image can be recognised by fans and audiences which will interest them in buying the album. He is also represented in just a hat, jeans and a sash, where he is made to appeal attractive and will catch the eye of more female audiences. Once the album is opened you are shown the first CD, Speakerboxxx. It has images of speakers all over the CD which links to the CD name. If you open the second part of the album you are shown a reasonably large image in the centre of the pack, of the speakerboxxx artist perched on top of various speakers and surrounded by boxes of vinyls. This is another link to the CD name which makes it seem a lot more interesting and will make you want to listen to the CD.

Written

There are lots of written elements on this album. First, on the front of the album the groups name 'Outkast' is written in large text among their logo. It is bold and black against the red background which draws people in to read it and also makes it easier to recognise and read. The separate artists name is written down the side in 'fancy' font and also in bold black. This makes it look sophisticated and elegant. Beneath the artists names are the names of the songs that are on their CD's, this helps audiences decide weather they are going to be interested in the album or not because they can look for the songs they know and recognise but also see what else is on the CD.

Technical

The majority of the colours used on this album are red. Red is a very visible colour and is easy for people to recognise. It also represents power, determination as well as passion, desire and love. This links to the album names as 'Speakerboxxx' is loud full of strong and powerful music, where as 'The Love Below' is also strong music but more about passion and love, which is why it is represented in pink, to be able to separate the 2 parts of the album and also the type of music that is involved. Having 2 parts to one album gives it a selling point. It is not like most other albums and it shows the variety and diversity the artists have amongst music.



CD 3: Jay-Z- The Dynasty

Visual

The visual images shown on this album cover is the artist Jay-Z. Having his image across the front and back indicates it is all about him. The front image of Jay-Z shows him holding up his hands in a triangle. This is his signature hand sign of his, which makes him recognisable to the public. In between his hands you can see his chain with the letters, RW, on the end of it. It placed in the middle of his hands to draw people into the centre, it also represents and is the logo for 'Roca wear' Jay-Z's own clothing label. Jay-Z wears black clothing and a bandana which could link to the type of music that is on his album because most rappers and people that listened to hip-hop and rap wore signature clothing, like the bandana, to link to the hip-hop music culture.

Written

As the front of the Album is black and white, the written aspects are in white. This makes the writing stand out against the dark background. The font of the text is very bold and thick, which makes it more visually readable. On the back of the album, the font is very small and not easy to read which gives the album a negative point. The colour of the font is yellow which does help it to stand out against the darker background.

Technical

The low angle shot of Jay-Z on the back makes him look higher up and superior, which gives him power over the album. He is also is crossing his arms, this indicates he is trying to look powerful and like the boss. On the front of the album Jay-Z's face is blurred out and his hands are very focused, this makes you look more at his hand- to recognise his signs and not his face.

Secondary research of Magazines

Magazine add 1: Rihanna- Diamonds

Visual
In this advertisement, the visual images shown are artist, Rihanna's hands, holding rolling paper full of diamonds- this links to the title of the song 'Diamonds' and makes the advertisement eye-catching and recognisable to which song it is about. The artists logo 'R' - which also can help audiences recognise the advert is hers and can also catch a larger audience. You are also shown an apple logo- this represents the label Apple and is shown to help viewers recognise this logo and know that you can download Rihanna's new single Diamonds, via there programme, iTunes.
Written
The song title 'Diamonds' stands out amongst most of the written work in this advert because its font is the largest so that it can be seen from longer distances and becomes more recognisable. It is also is written in different font up to the other written work. The font almost looks as though it is upper-class handwriting which associates with the richer variety of people- which also links to the diamonds. The logo 'R' is written up of various words to create the large R. This is showing that this whole advertisement is all about Rihanna because the words that make up the R are linked to her- with words such as love, Roc (Roc Nation Jay-Z's record label), diamonds, rihanna, heart break, my navy (her fans), complete woman, red lipstick, girl.

Also linking to the idea that it is all about the artist, in the advertisement you are shown a website name 'ULTIMATE-RIHANNA.COM' that represents rihanna as ultimate, the unique one and the powerful one. It makes it seem that Rihanna is in control. When reading this advert you are also shown the iTunes release date of when you can download the single from their programme, which makes the audience known to when and where they can get the single and more eager to get it from that particular download programme.
Technical
The colours of the advert are simple as just black and white which makes it look classy and easier to read. Using black and white can also represent certain aspects of Rihanna. The colour black shows/means power, elegance, authority and being prestigious. The colour white shows/means it is opposed to black. The colours link to everything and how the aspects of the advertisements link and represent Rihanna. Showing just her hands in the advert is keeping her identity hidden but also her fans can recognise her by little aspects like her nails or tattoo.





Magazine Add 2: Jessie J- Who you are

Visual
In this advertisement you are shown the artist, Jessie J, and she is posing as though she is performing, which symbolises her passion and focus she has in her artist career. The large image shows the artist straight away so that the viewers can recognise who the advertisement is about and will catch their eye to read the poster. There is a black, white and gold theme throughout the poster and the artists name 'JessieJ' is in shiny gold, which gives it an eye-catching, classy look.
Written
On the advertisement you can see a website which reads 'JESSIEJOFFICIAL.COM' and suggests that she is the official artist to be interested in and listen too. Using the word 'official' also suggests that the advertisement is valid and legitimate. There are also logos of record labels, LAVA and Universal Republic records, written on the poster for their recognition. The poster includes a lot of noticeable adjectives to attract a larger audience such as Debut, no.1 Internationale smash and official. It will also make you want to listen to the album. A well known artist is named, B.o.B, to again catch your eye, and if you're interested in the other artist, it will give them a larger audience.
Technical
The colour theme throughout the poster symbolises different things by different colours. Black is a bold colour and stands out; it is also elegant and can show power. Gold looks stable and strong on the poster, it can also symbolise wealth and fame. The gold and black stands out against the white background so it is easier to read.



Magazine Add 3: Beyonce'- 4

Visual
In this advertisement the biggest image and main focus is Beyonce. It helps audiences to recognise who the artist is. You can also see a smaller image of her actual CD cover which shows the same photograph of Beyonce, which signifies the link to her new album and expresses that the CD is hers. There is a an iTunes logo showing the audience where you can download the album and give iTunes recognition. In the poster there is no other image but Beyonce, so it shows it is all about her.
Written
There is a similar font used throughout the poster, which has a simple colour and tone. This helps Beyonce's image look more interesting than the written aspect of the advertisement. The artists name and album name is the largest font of all of the writing because it is the main focus header to show who the artist is and what it is about. The words state the album includes Beyonce's single 'Best thing i never had' and some of the single will recognise this and it will draw them in.
Technical
The shot of Beyonce is a low angle shot which emphasises her image and makes it look like we're looking up to her as she has the power. the lighting in the image is coming from above, lighting her up making her seem even more bold on the poster. it looks as though it has been edited to look a bit dated with the colours used, which is very popular today.

Main text Questionnaire analysis

In my research I asked 10 people to fill out my questionnaire and here are the results that I have found out from my research.

1. How old are you?      16 & under __                    17- 21 __                22+ __

The majority of people I asked were ages 17- 21.

My target audience will be people from the ages of 16 and over.

2. What area do you live in? __________________
The areas that were written down varied from places in Bristol and mostly inner city areas such as Easton, Barton Hill, Eastville and St George.

3. What genre of Music do you listen to?
Pop __
R'n'b __
Rock __
Grime/Rap __
Classical __
Other __

The Majority of the people asked listened to Grime/Rap the most and secondly R'n'b and Other. This tells me that the people I'm asking have a reasonable amount of knowledge about the genre i am using for my music video, which also tells me that the genre i have chosen to use is popular within my target audience.

4. Do you watch music videos and how often? 8/10 people asked said that they watch music videos everyday, this is good because it means they have a good understanding of music videos around today.

... If yes where do you watch the music videos?
Television __
Internet __
Phone __
Other __

The majority of the people asked said that they watch music videos on the internet. This tells me that the internet is more popular for people in the ages of 17-21 so when I've produced my music video i will upload ti to a popular online website such as Youtube so that it can attract a bigger audience, especially from my target audience.

5.What do you think is typical of a female music video?
The majority of people asked this question said that  having the females should wear low-cut, revealing clothing, showing off particular parts of their body to attract the male audiences. Other people said that having a strong female singer, powerful female images and soul and passion is typical of female music videos.
Using these results from my questionnaires i will use powerful female images to embrace the female artist and make her wear fashionable, glamourous and some low-cut clothing to give her a strong female representation and an attraction to a big audience.

6.Do you think it is important to see the artist in the music video and why?
9 out of the 10 people that were asked, said that it is important to see the artist in the music video, mostly because it helps the audience to connect to the artist, you can associate the artist with the song for future reference and they are the main focus of the song so they should be shown in their music video.
In my music video i will show my female artist throughout the video because i think it is important to embrace who sings the song and also to give the artist recognition to the public.


7. Where do you think would be a good location for an r'n'b music video and why?
The majority of people asked said stereotypically it would be shown in a location that is stylish, urban area and large spaces for r'n'b artists that dance, luxurious and fashionable, but the location also depends on the lyrics of the song.
I plan to use a location that matches the lyrics of my song, but i will also try and bring an urban location into it to link to the r'n'b genre.


8.What do you think a typical r'n'b music video would have their characters wearing and why?

The majority of people that answered this question said that characters in an r'n'b video would most likely wear new stylish expensive clothing because they are representing fashion and showing off their style and fame. The colour of their clothes should blend nicely with the miss en scene and particularly if it is a female artist they would wear revealing, minimal clothing to attract audiences and give them a talking point.
My main focus of my music video will be the artist. to show this to the audiences i will get the female artist to appear rich, fashionable and stylish which will give them a typical female r'n'b representation.
9.Write any comments, opinions or improvements here:

• If you are going to make an r'n'b music video then make sure the shots are slow and not too fast
• Very clear and easy to understand, just be more specific on what gender artist your thinking about using so you get a brighter idea
• I look forward to seeing your music video!

Main Text Questionnaire

Secondary Research of Main Text

Video 1: Beyonce- Dance for you

In this video the audience are shown a number of characters such as Beyonce (the artist), 4 women dancers and an unknown male.

The mise en scene is located in a 1950's looking office presumably owned by the man sitting in the room the signs of this are the dated furniture around the room and the way that the characters dress. The male specifically is wearing a hat, suit, tie and braces which are typical for a man in this period of time to wear. Beyonce is wearing a low cut silk dress and stockings with implies that she is trying to look seductive towards this man and the audience that is watching. As said in Andrew Goodwin's theory, i feel that this has been demanded by Beyonce's record label to look sexy and appeal to specifically men and also other audiences watching. This video typically shows a black and white, film noir, Hollywood glam theme with the artist as the main attraction and coming across as the femme fatale, which makes the audience seem as though they are watching a film. This catches the audiences eye and makes them interested and wanting to watch more of the video. The song Beyonce is singing is called dance for you and is based around the artist but at the same time the music video is narrative based because it is shown like a story. The artist and her dancers dance through out the video performing for the man and also the audience, they are presented in a way to look sexy, seductive and main focus, especially Beyonce as she is lit up in most of the shots to create focus on her.

I think the target audience for this video is people who favour r'n'b music. There is a voyeuristic view of Beyonce in this video because as she is dancing for the male character and never really looking at the camera face-on, she's always looking to something behind, so this makes the audience feel that they are intruding on whats going on.

 Video 2: Rihanna- We Found Love

In This video you are shown a lot of characters but mainly Rihanna and a male character. The video is narrative and artist based as the audience are shown a story-like video explaining the words of what she sings. The connotations of this are that Rihanna and the male look as though they are in a relationship as they are always together and are shown having intimate moments on screen which also reference to the words of the song title "We found love".

They are shown having happy moments together- partying, skate parks, eating out and then there is a big contrast showing the bad moments together referencing the lyrics "we found love in a hopeless place", the characters are shown taking all types of drugs, arguing, drinking and it all ending in tears.

The locations of this video take place in a lower class inner city, the connotations of this are that you can see that they live in an estate flat and the area is shown with lots of takeaways, corner shops and littered streets. I think the target audience for this video is teenagers because i think some teenagers will of experienced something along the lines of this story because some experiment with drugs, alcohol, sex and partying and it doesn't result well so they ca relate to watching this video. There are notions of voyeurism shown when Rihanna and the male are sharing intimate moments together because the audience feel they shouldn't be invading the privacy they are being shown which is very typical for R'n'b music videos.

Video 3: Kelly Rowland- Motivation

In this video you are shown the characters of Kelly Rowland, Lil Wayne and other male dancers. Kelly is represented as the powerful character and the connotations of this are that she is always surrounded by men dancers wearing black and she being the only female is dressed in a small blue swimsuit made to look sexy and stand out against the men.

The video is located in a dark warehouse which is lit up around the characters which is to create a focus on the storyline for the audience. There are links between the lyrics of the song and the actions that take place. The audience is shown a room full of men and women having intimate moments together and Kelly sat amongst several topless men which links to the lyrics "I just want to feel your hands all over me baby" and the title of the song "Motivation", she wants to be presented as someones motivation and to be sexy and appealing and this draws in the audience more which is very typical of r'nb videos.

I think the video is artist and performance based because Kelly Rowland is performing in the majority of the video and gets all of the audiences attention, which is intended, and to enhance this attention she has eye contact with the camera a lot of the time to keep the audience drawn in and it makes them feel like she is talking to them and making them feel as though they are included. This would draw in a large target audience of men because they see her as an attractive artist which makes them interested. There are notions of voyeurism when Kelly is dancing in a swimsuit which is quite revealing which creates tension for the audience as they feel they are seeing something they shouldn't be. In the video you can always see the colour blue, dark blue represents knowledge, power, seriousness which links to the meaning of the video and that the artist is in control and has the most power in this video. 

Conclusion

In conclusion to the three music videos I have researched I have seen similarities between them. The videos all represent their artists in the same way by showing them with notions of voyeurism and representing the female artists to appeal sexy and powerful so that they grab audiences, particularly men, to want to watch more, which is typical for r'n'b female artists. All the videos lyrics have links to the action happening in the video. Rihanna sings "We found love in a hopeless place" and the audience are shown her falling in love and it all falling apart with sex, drugs and alcohol which links to the "hopeless place". Beyonce sings "Tonight i'm gonna dance for you" and throughout the video you see her dancing and performing for an unknown male. Finally Kelly Rowland sings "Baby Ima be your motivation" and the connotations of the video are shown with multiple intimate moments with actors and Kelly herself dancing with a group of topless men, this denotes that she is the motivation of the video and is trying to grab the male audiences. 

I found out that the locations don't have a link between them as they are all different. I think this is because the locations are decided by the song, so whatever the song is about they try and get a location to fit in with it.

All the female artists dress in a similar way in these videos. They wear the latest fashion and also show a lot of skin in there videos typically because of what they're singing, but mostly because they want to be represented as the ultimate female attraction and to grab the most attention.