Advertisement Questionnaire analysis

I have selected some questions from my questionnaire that seem to me to be the most interesting and the questions that will help me create a good advert:

This pie chart shows whether people are influenced by advertising in magazines. The majority of the public say that they are not influenced by the advertising techniques that companies use. There are more people that feel that they are only influenced depending on whether the product is something relevant to them than there are that feel that they are influenced by any product being advertised. I expected this result due to the fact that people tend to flick past adverts when they are in magazines, unless the advert is particularly eye-catching - which will draw in the reader and cause them to have a quick glimpse at the appealing advert.

Adverts tend to have the price of the product written somewhere on the page. For this reason I have included the question 'How much would you expect to pay for a new CD?' in my questionnaire. The answers I received were what I expected - the majority being within £7-9.99 with a few over £10. I think that the people who voted for £0-2.99 were being slightly optimistic, however this is why we include questionnaires; to get the points of view from a wide variety of people.

From these two questions I have a good idea of what to include on my magazine advert. The majority of people are not influenced by adverts, however I feel that if the advert is eye-catching enough then the reader may well stop to have a look at what the advert is advertising. The price will be within the region of £7-9.99 as this is what people will expect to pay for a newly released CD.

CD Cover Questionnaire analysis

The results from my CD cover questionnaire are as follows:

From this pie chart it is apparent that people find the artwork of the cover to be the most appealing. From this percentage that were asked, I also asked whether they preferred a photo or something drawn / animated. From these asked, the majority (68%) said that they preferred a photo - with one mentioning that it makes the cover look more attractive to the fans. From this evidence, I am going to use a photo on the front cover whilst making the font a secondary attraction.

This question proved to be more one-sided than I though it was going to be. The majority of the people asked (50%) said that they much preferred to only have the artwork and the name of the artist / album on the front cover, instead of any information about the record label or what the album includes. This surprised me as I thought that the fans would be interested as to information based on the record label or other aspects of the CDs production, however this was not the case. So, from this I have gathered that it is better to keep the cover clear of any additional information.

From the two questions which I have selected to be analysed, it is apparent that the best CD covers are made with a good photo as the base of the cover, and for there to be little information regarding the record label or contents of the cover. With these two facts coupled, it will give me a greater chance to create a front cover that will be appealing to the general public.

Target Audience analysis / Music Videos

I have obtained the results of my questionnaire and they are as follows:



Due to the nature of my project, I feel that the majority of people who will watch music videos will be between the 15-25 age barrier. With this in mind, the majority of the people I questioned were in the 10-19 and 20-29 age range. I also asked people from the other age ranges to gain a wider knowledge of what people would prefer when it comes to music videos, CD covers and advertisements.

From this questionnaire, it is apparent that the majority of the people I asked preferred the narrative genre of the music videos. This means that they prefer it when the video has a story behind it, rather than if it were a performance, amplified, disjunctive or an animated feature. The genre that came in last place was the disjunctive category which only attracted 1 member of the public. From these results, it is apparent that people enjoy narrative music videos and therefore I will address this by producing my music video in the narrative category.

This pie chart shows that people find the majority of music videos to be fast paced, yet some members of the public found the majority to be boring. This is an important question regarding the production of the music video. I now know that the majority are fast paced and so I will address this by attempting to make mine to this standard. I will also aim to not make my final product boring as this would distract the user's attention and cause them to look elsewhere.

These are but a selection of results from my first questionnaire. I have selected these as I feel that these were the most important answers from the selected questions and that they would help me to create the best music video. I now have the required information to keep in touch with the public as I know what the formula is to create a decent music video.

Music Ratings

From this graph I can deduce that the most followed and watched music channel is 4Music. After this is MTV. 4Music show chart hits, from the top 40 in the UK. These songs tend to be the most popular in the public and this will be the main reason as to why this channel is so popular. Another reason is that it is shown on Channel4 instead of being on Sky or other pay-per-view TV, and so many people can watch it with no restrictions.
From these results I will choose to do a song that would be received well by the majority of the public. My chosen song will be within the pop genre as this is the genre that is mainly displayed on 4Music, the most popular channel.

Research Into Target Audience

To get a brief outline as to what would be the most effective music video, CD cover or advertisement, I will need to get some facts into what people look for when they are watching a music video, searching for an album cover or what really catches their eye in a magazine advert. For me to get these key facts and figures, I will need to compose a questionnaire which will be handed out to the general public. I will also look for viewing figures of all the key music channels, such as MTV or Kerrang!.

I need to create 3 different products - a music video, a CD Cover and an advert for a magazine. I will, therefore, need to compile three different questionnaires to get a full understanding of what the public want. The following two questions are inclusive to all questionnaires:

Which age range do you fit into?

• 0-09 / 10-19 / 20-29 / 30-39 / 40-49 / 50+

Gender?

• Male / Female
  

The following are questions that appeared on my Music Video questionnaire :

Where do you often watch music videos?

• Video Sharing Site / TV / Other (please specify)

Do you tend to watch music videos for the music or for the entertainment value?

• Music / Entertainment / Both

Which genre of music video do you prefer to watch?

• Narrative (Story) / Performance / Amplified (video relates to rhythm) / Disjunctive (random images) / Animated

Which genre of music do you prefer to listen to?

• Rock / Indie / RnB / DnB / Pop / HipHop / Rap / Folk / Other

How often do you find yourself watching music videos (roughly)?

• Less / Once a week / Once every few days / Once every other day / Once a day / 1-2 hours a day / 3-4 hours a day / More

When watching a music video, do you find the majority to be... (circle as many as deemed appropriate)

• Slow / Fast Paced / Complicated / Understandable / Boring

Do you prefer music videos to be slightly humoorous, or serious?

• Humourous / Serious / Both

END

It is important not to drag on with questionnaires as the public may lose interest and therefore put down random answers to get it over with. Due to this fact, I have limited my questionnaire to 9 questions. I believe that I have included a wide range of questions which, when put together, will help me create a good music video as I now have the knowledge of what the public prefer.

For my CD cover questionnaire, I created the following questions:

When shopping for CDs, are you attracted towards the slightly stranger album covers?

• Yes / No / Occasionally

For you, what do you find most appealing about the CD covers?

• Artwork / Font / Innovation (i.e. not just an ordinary CD case, but a booklet etc.)

When looking at a CD cover, do you prefer to have information (artist name, album name, record company etc.) readily available?

• Yes / No / Just the Artist

When buying CDs, do you know exactly what you are looking for when entering the shop?

• Yes / No

Do you tend to buy CDs from known artists, or are you attracted to the cover?

• Known artists / Attracted to the cover

END

From these questions I will now have quite a strong idea as to what the general public look for in an album cover and therefore this will influence how I design and make the album cover for my secondary task.

For my advertisement, I compiled the following questions :

Do you tend to pay attention to adverts in magazines, or do you merely flick through the pages?

• Pay attention / Skip through the pages

Do you feel that you buy an item mainly because you have seen it advertised?

• Yes / No

Do you believe that you are influenced by the advertising market?

• Yes / No / Depends on the product

Are you drawn in to adverts of products that you are aware of (i.e. bands that you have heard of)?

• Yes / No

Do you prefer to be well informed when looking at adverts, or do you prefer the way it has been designed?

• Well informed / Well designed

How much would you expect to pay for a new CD?

• £0-2.99 / £3-6.99 / £7-9.99 / £10+

END

From this questionnaire, I now have the evidence of what makes a good advert. I also have how much the public would expect to pay for a newly released CD and therefore my price will fit into this category.

From the three questionnaires that I have produced and distributed, I am now in a great position to start designing and producing my three products.

Codes and Conventions of Music Videos

From the music videos that I have seen, it appears that there are three main types of music videos:

• Illustrative - An illustrative music video has three options - a narrative video, a live performance or a mixture of the two. It is so called an illustrative video as it illustrates the song in a way that merely listening to it couldn't. When it falls into the narrative category, the director will tend to use a storyline which fits in with the lyrics or tempo of the song. It visualises the music. The live performance scenario speaks for itself, where the director will take snippets from live shows from the past and create a montage. When the video is narrative, it will tend to follow the three act structure.


• Amplification - This form of the music video can involve the illustrative sector of videos, however the video is much more complex. It is amplified due to the director not simply relating to the lyrics or song meaning. These videos tend to be creative and full of strange and surreal ideas. Having said this, the video will still have something to do with the song, whether it be the beat, rhythm, sound or any connotation that may be in place.


• Artistic / Disjunctive- The video will generally have nothing to do with the song or the lyrics. The video's main purpose is to entertain the audience and occasionally give a comedic value. These videos are at a disjuncture from the song and therefore they are irrelevant.

All music videos tend to last the length of the song, however in some cases there is an early narrative before the song has started, during the song as a midpoint to move the plot forward, or even at the end which serves as the denouement. This is almost always found in the narrative side of music videos.

Narrative

Narrative videos are rarely complex or too complicated. This is because they need to advertise the song to the audience and if it is too complicated then the audience could lose interest and therefore change the channel before they have found out who the band / artist is. These videos need to contain a certain level of repeatability.

Musical Synaesthesia relates to the elements of the song which determine the overall concept of the song and video. For example certain music reflects certain moods and therefore the director will catch onto this fact and ram it home - a certain beat or instrument can be associated with a certain class group or area in the world. The director of the video will 'leech' onto the musical synaesthesia and use it for their advantage during a narrative video as this links in with the musical genre and will keep the audience's interest focused.

Performance Videos

More often than not this will happen on the stage in front of thousands of fans, usually at a festival or an intimate gig. The camera tends to focus mainly on the frontman / woman of the band as he / she is the most famous of the lot. There is original footage with the track layered on top to give an authentic, clean sound which the audience will find much easier and more pleasant to listen to. The camera angle changes, and we find ourselves looking at strange angles to keep us interested. A favourite would seem to be the Dutch angle (canted) and whip pans panning across the whole stage.

In cases where there is a solo artist performing the video will occasionally have a choreographed dance routine where the artist will perform a routine whilst miming the lyrics to the song. The soloist will, in cases where the narrative and performance are entwined, also be the leading figure in the narrative as the attention needs to be on them as they are selling their music and their songs.

Similar Media Texts (Magazine Adverts)

Another part of my coursework task is to create a create an accompanying magazine advert, advertising the new release of my album. On this post I will be looking at 5 different magazine adverts, and studying the codes and conventions which have made them either a success or a disaster.



The Enemy - Music For The People







This magazine advert uses colours and imagery to a good extent. The black background forces the brighter colours out of the page and therefore makes the page more aesthetically pleasing. The middle image of the coloured circle, depicting an eclipse, certainly jumps off the page due to the vibrance of it in conjunction with the darker scheme to the rest of the page. The central image refers to the album, as this is what the public see when looking at the album artwork.


The fonts used are basic, however the colours used make them stand out from the background. White on black is a common theme, and we can see why as it works so well. The name of the band and brief description are in white so they stand out - these are the things that will draw the public in as they are seeing something that they are aware of (band name and possibly single). In grey are the album name and in what conditions it is available. The grey used does not make it jump out off the page, however it is still easily visible. These contrasting colours add something else to this advert, making it look less bland.


At the head of the page are the band name and album name. This is something that I would expect to see with the other album adverts I will analyse, as this is where the audience's eyes will wander to straight away. At the top of the page is where the more noticable points are put as they are better seen and are more effective up there.

Yusuf - Roadsinger (To Warm You Through The Night)

Here we see the advert to the new album by Yusuf. As I said above, the more important points are directed towards the top of the page and this is no exception - right at the very top of the page reads 'The journey of music continues from Yusuf, the man previously known as Cat Stevens'. This shows a certain level of marketing, as people may not have known that Cat Stevens had infact changed performance name to Yusuf. This will alert people to his new alias and therefore would draw previous fan of his into his new musical world. Again, at the top of the page is the album name and artist title.

The main image is fairly simple, however mise-en-scene has been thought about to a high quality. We see a man (assumed to be Yusuf), busking under a street light to the right of the page. This creates a feeling that the album is going to be slightly folky and acoustic due to the front cover alone. The VW parked to the bottom right further backs up this idea. As it is set late at night, this allows the natural lighting to take effect on the image, with a spotlight from the street light surrounding Yusuf. The lighting of the page gives off the impression that the lyrical side of the album may ensue stories of depression or troubles.

The advert varies fonts dramatically, with at least three different fonts used within 9 lines of text. Firstly, the text depicting Yusuf is fairly smooth, with a golden orange colouring to it. This is in conjunction with the light of the street light, and a gradient is used to take it away from a bland block of text. Underneath we see the name of the album in a rough font with white lettering. This ragged font could again show the folk roots of the album as it is linked in with a busking atmosphere. Under this in a same font is the rest of the album name in the same font however this time in the same orange as 'Yusuf'. The next block of text is formed with white writing in what seems to be Times New Roman, a basic font. This has been placed on a silhouetted building and therefore will come off the page, much as the advert above did. Finally, underneath this block are two more lines, one linking in with the block above. The other is the name of one of the singles taken from the album and this is in the same style as the album name, only slightly smaller.

The more important features of the album are the ones that leap out; for example the name of the artist and album. I was surprised that the album name appeared in a larger text, however if the artist has to introduce himself as 'the man previously known as Cat Stevens' then I don't feel that making the artist name any bigger would have made much of an impact.

Lightning Seeds - Four Winds

This advert is taken from the new album from The Lightning Seeds. This is totally different advert to anything that I have analysed thus far, due to the layout of the page. It is very basic and the colours leave a lot to be desired. The top half of the page I have no complaints about - it is referring to the album (as this is the album artwork) and it is visually pleasant. The sand dunes and foliage shows nature, and once more relates to the album name (Four Winds) as places such as these are normally quite windy. The colours used in the top half are nothing special as it is merely a photograph which seemingly has not been edited.

The name of the band and album title are on the same line with the same font and text size. This for me is a strange move, as there is nothing distinguishing the difference beteween the album or artist. Perhaps this choice is because the Lightning Seeds have been producing music since 1989 and therefore they could be a well-known music group. The fact that this advert was taken from Q magazine may be another factor as Q tend to specialise with music from the '90s.

The bottom half is a confusing piece of advertising. It is bland. It is boring. There is no colour to it. This is something that I would not expect from a piece of advertising in a magazine. Adverts are meant to be eye-catching and striking, however the whole page of this is neither. There is little text, adding to the simplicity of the page, with the only information coming in the form of 'New Album', when it comes out and what formats it is available on. The website to the band is given incase people want to follow up this advert and research further.

Overall this advert does not use imagery or colour to good effect. When the public is flicking through from page to page this advert will not jump out and cause them to stop at this particular page.

Depeche Mode - Sounds Of The Universe

This is the magazine advert for 'Sounds Of The Universe' - the new album from Depeche Mode. The first thing that I was drawn to was the central figure. It is circular, perhaps referring to the 'Universe' section of the album title. The coloured rods emanating from this circular figure are seemingly randomly placed and are a whole host of vibrant colours, something which the advert by Lightning Seeds was lacking. This certainly sticks out as the rest of the page is nothing amazing to look at. The background of the page is grey, and this links in directly with the album cover as the same colours and images are used.

The text at the top of the advert shows the logo and font used by Depeche Mode for the album and for other items they have been promoting. This new font is more modern than plain text and therefore it shows that a fairly old band have made the jump into the new era of music, something that may draw in newer fans. The text of the album name is underneath the main image and is in a white font which is easily visible on the grey background, however it does not really jump out like other colours would.

Underneath this font is something that I have not yet seen, another advert for their live tour dates. This has been non-existent on the other adverts and this band have decided to pack it with information so as to advertise to more and more people, thus raising awareness of their tour. It gives information regarding dates, locations and where to buy the tickets from.

This advert has used an injection of colour to good effect. The slightly differently coloured background is a welcome change to a plain white, however it also makes the text easy to read.

Maximo Park - Quicken The Heart

Instantly this advert does something that not a lot of other adverts do - it makes you stop and look. The completely different background colour and in-your-face imagery makes you stop and pay attention to it. The dark golden background with the occasional yellow spark depicts star constellations and astrological terminology. This is linked directly with the album artwork. Text accounts for 80% of the page, and therefore it seems to be bombarded with information however it does not seem too cluttered.

The white font does seem a bit repetitive and boring, however due to the colouring of the background it would be tricky to find something that would equally stand out. The main text is of the album name - something that I find surprising as it is normally the artist name which is the main selling point. The font is nothing special as it seems fairly bland, however they have used all capitals which make it seem more bulky and therefore more dense.

Once more, information is added to make it seem more appealing. Along with the release date of the album, there is also information regarding formats of the CD. Boxed towards the bottom of the page is what is included when you purchase the CD / DVD edition, which could prove to be a selling point when someone is deciding which format to buy. Underneath the box is information surrounding the single from the album. Again, the band's website is featured as means of research for anyone wanting to find out more.

Codes and Conventions

From looking at these 5 magazine adverts, I have come across various codes and conventions which I feel will be integral to me when I come to creating my advert.

• Colour scheme : This is important as it is the base to a good advert. As we saw with Maximo Park it causes the public to take notice, and the colours are normally linked directly with the album artwork.



• Information : Information is used to good effect. There is info regarding release dates, tour dates, singles and websites and this seems to be a constant in all adverts I have looked at.



• Fonts : Information about relevant information is written in the same style - if we look at Yusuf again we see that information around the album is written in the rugged font, whereas other information is different.

With these things in mind, I can now go off and create an advert which I feel will be competitive in a magazine.

Similar Media Texts (Inside Face CD)

I also need to create the inside of the CD casing. This includes a booklet and the CD artwork itself and I am now going to look at the codes and conventions required to create a decent inside of a CD.


Marmaduke Duke

The three images above show the view of the CD case once opened (left), two pages taken from the additional booklet (middle) and the two middle pages from this booklet (right). The first image once again follows the same colour scheme as the front and back faces use. This again creates great continuity and shows that the band are consistent in what they do.

The middle image shows two pages from the booklet. These pages include the lyrics to three of the 10 songs, with the rest of the song lyrics coming on different pages. The multi-coloured theme is once again present around the sides of the pages, whereas they have decided to use a black background with white writing. This is a good change as the lyrics would become difficult to read if they had continued with the theme which has been used throughout.

The two middle pages of the booklet are taken up by a picture of the two front men of the band. They are standing in a Medium Close-up looking at the camera. The image is in black and white which is a visual contrast the array of colours surrounding the edges of the pages. They are dressed in costumes concealing their identity, something which once more continues throughout their careers (especially in live performances where they turn up with Mardi Gras-esque masks). This image is a welcome change to the lyrics. On other pages are images of the two in different positions and scenarios, however this time they are shot in colour. The final page is filled with all the legal jargon and credits, such as 'Mixed by..., Additional Musicians...' and so on. Thanks are also given, albeit briefly.

Marmaduke Duke have used the same colour scheme throughout their album artwork. The constant use of vibrant and eye-catching colours create a well-structured cover which is certain to catch the eye. They have included all the necessaries - legal issues, record labels and thank yous, and they have added lyrics which will go a long way with their fanbase.

Animal Collective

The two images above are the inside and CD to the unconventional CD that Animal Collective have decided to release. The left image shows the inside casing once opened (like a book), whilst the right image shows the CD which, incidentally, is concealed in the right section of the 'book'. The CD slides out when the case is tipped to one side.

The left image is the casing once opened. It may be tough to see, but written on both sides of the 'book' are the tracklisting to this particular album. When I say written, it is more scribbled and for someone not knowing what songs are on the particular album it would be very tricky to work out which songs are which due to the elongated writing. The colouring to the writing once more follows on from the orangey colour scheme on the left side, whereas the right moves towards a cooler blue. This is all the information shown on these two pages.

The CD, however, is much more informative. For those who could not work out what the scribbles were saying, there is a typed tracklisting on the CD underneath the album title. Towards the top of the CD is the name of the band in the same scribbly handwriting. Also included around the CD are legal and recording issues which are required. The band have included the colour scheme on the CD, with a transition from orange (through purple) to blue on show. This continuity not only looks good but it also reinforces the idea that the contents of the album may well be a warm music.

Throughout the somewhat strange CD that Animal Collective have rustled up, they have used various themes to good effect. Firstly, the optical illusion cover which draws the public in. The innovative casing which sets it apart from the rest, and finally the style and design of the inside book. The lack of a booklet is somewhat of a let down as their fans may want to find out more information about this album, however it is not an imperative feature of an album.

Milburn

Here we have three images showing how Milburn have made the inside of their CD. To the left we have how the CD opens to show the CD (on the right) and the booklet (on the left). The middle image shows the middle two pages of the booklet, whereas the right image shows two of the band members through a 'fish eye' perspective.

The left image is the immediate inside of the casing. We see the same colour scheme as was showcased on the back of the CD - black with white writing. The same white border is used on the booklet. On the CD the text and font style are the same as on the front cover and on the spine of the CD. This creates good continuity as this font will now be associated with the band no matter where it is seen. The writing towards the bottom of the booklet is the legal and record label information, along with additional thanks and credits. The websites of the band are also on show.

The middle image shows the middle of the booklet. Centred is the quote "Loose ends, things unrelated, shifts, nightmare journeys, cities arrived at and left, meetings, desertions, betrayals, all manner of unions, adulteries, triumphs, defeats..... these are the facts." This quote is seemingly random as this is not included in any of the lyrics, however on additional research it is infact a quote from a book written by Alexander Trocchi. The last 4 words of the quote are the name of the album title and therefore it is apparent where the band got their inspiration from if they included a quote from this man. The font is in italic and slightly wavy which signifies importance, yet authenticity. Again we can see the white outline running around the double page.

The image on the right shows two of the band members in what seems to be a Close Up shot, however this is only because of the camera lense used which gives the feeling of distortion. The colouring of the images are slightly strange, with the sky a bright orange and everything seeming to be more vivid and imaginative - in a dreamlike state. This ties in with the costume (a Sherlock Holmes pipe and moustache (left) and a clown nose (right)). The two remaining pages show the other two members of the band in a very similar shot.

Throughout this CD, Milburn have used various tactics to ensure the sale of their CD. Firstly, the album artwork on the front draws in the public due to the unnatural image and discoloured sky. Looking at the rest of the CD, they have reverted back to an olden theme, with black and white being the prominent colours. They have included their inspiration in the booklet, yet they have opted against releasing the lyrics - something which may anger some fans.

Pink Floyd

The three images above show how the Pink Floyd album maps out.

The left image shows the immediate inside of the casing. The back of the booklet is the same artwork as the back of the case, which brings continuity - a feature which is apparent in all of the other cases I have looked at. The CD has lots of information on it. The name and tracklisting of the album is shown, along with the name of the band. To the left of the CD is a copyright statement and legal issues.

The middle image shows two pages from the booklet. The pages are filled with lyrics of songs from the album. The background is an image of three pyramids which have been faded so as not to impede the writing. Each song has it's own section mapped out by horizontal black lines. This makes the page look much neater and less cluttered.

The image on the right is the middle two pages of the booklet. It shows the an individaul picture of the 5 band members all playing their respective instrument at one of their concerts, with an additional image of all 5 playing on stage in the same photo. There is a bright red background which incites a performance atmosphere. The colour scheme of this page is trying to get people to go to their concerts as these two pages make their concerts seem lively and personal.

Overall Pink Floyd have used colour and imagery to a good effect throughout this CD. The use of a well-known physics image creates a good starter, with the repetition of this image throughout something which will make the public think of Pink Floyd whenever they see a spectrum of this sort. The booklet, complete with lyrics, is a good addition to an already successful CD and they ensure that all legal terminology is included, whilst also adding credits and thank yous.

Conclusion

Looking at these 4 CDs from the inside has once more opened up more codes and conventions which are needed:

• Colour scheme kept the same throughout


• A miniature booklet referencing credits, legal issues, record label etc.


• Images of the band / relevant imagery.

From this I can now create my CD from front to back cover. I am now able to see what codes and conventions make CDs the success that they are nowadays and I can now create a CD worthy of being sold in any retailers.

Similar Media Texts (Back Face CD)

Another requirement of the task is to create the back to the CD album cover. Here I will analyse the backs to the album covers seen previously:

Marmaduke Duke

This is the back to the album cover 'Duke Pandemonium' by Marmaduke Duke. As you can see, the colour scheme is continued from the front cover, which is something that I expect to be seeing when I look at other back faces. The black obtrusive circle once again features, this time with the album tracklisting (along with numbers), record label and legal details and websites. to the bottom right is the barcode which is an essential item. Because this side follows on with the same colour scheme and pattern, it brings good continuity which is something that I feel is essential on an album cover. The spine of the CD is black with the name of the album and the artist.

Animal Collective

As you can see above, this is the cover to the album 'Merriweather Post Pavilion' by Animal Collective. The casing itself is a rather strange one, as the band have decided to get rid of the conventional casing and instead opt for what seems to be a box instead. The left image shows what we see when the box is opened, and the other two show the front and back of the inside cover. The artwork to each is fairly contemporary in the sense that it uses colours which are not associated with everyday life. The first is of someone swimming with vibrant colours outlining their silhouetted figure. The second image is that of blurry lights. The original casing carries on with the colour scheme, however when the box is opened we see a different colour setting which is carried on in it's own way - with orange being the more prominent colour to be figured. There is no tracklisting on either of these sides and no information on the record label, which can be found on the clingfilmed cover surrounding the outer box.

Milburn

Here is the cover to 'These Are The Facts' by Milburn. The first noticeable thing about this part of the cover is that it is incredibly plain and simple, however the white outlining makes it seem more authentic and something which I instantly associated with silent films. The centred, white text again draws out the simplicity, however it still creates the same effect. Towards the bottom of the case are the legal and record label information which is customary on all CDs, as is the barcode. The white diamond underneath the last track name is the symbol to Mercury Records - the label which Milburn were signed to. This acts a space filler however the size of it makes it look like nothing more, however it is a clever piece of advertising. The colour scheme is different to that of the front cover, however it would have been complicated to continue such a strange image and colour scheme, and so the band have opted for a simple black and white theme for the back. The spine of the cover is a simple black stripe with white writing on - the writing being in the same font and style as on the front cover.

Pink Floyd

Here is the back to the album 'Dark Side of the Moon' by Pink Floyd. It is seemingly the same image, however when flipping from the front to the back it is apparent that the spectrum joins up with that of the front, as does the white line which spurts off to the right. This is fairly unnoticable, however it ensures that the same colour scheme is used except a different image ensures no repetitivity. There is a black border around the back which means that the spectrum does not reach the edge. There is no information about tracklisting or record / legal information, although it does say 'Made In Japan' and has the symbol for Harvest records. The spine of the CD cover is, once again, black with the artist, album name and 'Harvest' (relating to the record label) written in white writing.

From these 4 CD covers, the codes and conventions are seemingly obvious and set in stone:

• Continue the colour scheme from the front



• Include tracklisting information (numbers are not necessary but a nice feature)



• Include legal and record information

The back of the CD does not have to be as eye-catching as the front covers as these are not the sides on display. I feel that the best working back faces include the conventions specified above and therefore I shall try to include all three points. I have also noticed that barcodes are included in two of the four faces, and so I have decided that they are too inconsistent to include. I believe that nowadays the majority of CDs are packaged in clingfilm which include the barcode on them and so I feel that they are an unnecessary feature.

Similar Media Texts (CD Covers)

Covers of CDs

Marmaduke Duke - Duke Pandemonium

This is the front cover to the album 'Duke Pandemonium' by Marmaduke Duke. This is a very eye-catching display due to the vast quantity of different colours, resembling the 'Choose Colour' function on programmes such as Microsoft Paint etc.

• The colours range from vibrant to dark, drawing in the audience as all colours catch the eye; this is even more effective due to the random positioning of the coloured squares as the audience does not know what colour will appear where.


• The circle at the top left also stands out, as it is a black circle on top of vibrant colours. The black circle with white writing is prominent as white on black stands out more than other colours do.
  
• The top left hand quarter of the cover is taken up by this black circle which draws attention to the artist's name and their album title, whereas the other 3 quarters of the page are filled by the randomly coloured squares.
  
• The font used for 'Marmaduke Duke' is similar to that from their first album, and therefore this creates a continuity from their first album where their fans will associate this font as being the Marmaduke Duke 'trademark' font. The font of the album name (Duke Pandemonium) is written in much smaller font underneath the band name, and it is written in a much more ordinary font. This is something that I feel will be apparent in all of the CD covers that I research and analyse - the fact that the artist name is written in a much bigger and stylish font to that of the album title. I believe this is because the artist will be much more recognised than that of the album title and therefore they will want to draw attention to the fact that they (the band / artist) are releasing a new album.


• The music on this album varies from dark to cheerful tunes, and this is certainly shown on the front cover. The light and dark colours relate to the music on the album therefore the audience will know what to expect, to an extent, from this album.

Overall I feel that this is a quality CD cover which will no doubt attract shoppers looking for an exciting album. Due to the vibrant colours which certainly jump out at you this cover screams originality and excitement and it will definitely catch the shopper's eye. Even at the bottom of the shelf this CD cover will be seen by everyone.

Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion

This is the cover to the CD 'Merriweather Post Pavilion' by Animal Collective. The CD comes in a booklet style case (shown on the left) which is covered in clingfilm with the label stuck to the outside (shown on the right). When the clingfilm layer is taken off, so does the label and therefore the user will have no recollection of what the CD inside is. It is essential that the clingfilm layer stays on when being sold as people will not know who or what this album is.

• The front cover is a well known optical illusion, where as your eyes move from side to side, so do the green oblong shapes in a diagonal direction. This will certainly stand out as when the public walks past it the cover will seemingly move. Our eyes get drawn into moving objects and therefore this a clever piece of art as the user will stop to look further into it.

• Even with the optical illusion, the colours stand out more than other traditional colours. Purple and green are two colours which are not often used in cases such as this however they have used these colours to good effect.


• When the clingfilm is on the case, it is a very prominent figure. The standard black writing on a white background stands out more than it would on a normal CD case. Because Animal Collective are not as famous as bands such as Arctic Monkeys or Kings of Leon this is a clever piece of advertising as the audience will look at the 'blip' in the bottom right corner of the case. This white label includes the name of the album and band along with other information such as album tracks and their record label.


• Behind the green oblong shapes is a dark blue and purple background. These colours seem to be clouded together, looking like something you would see in space. This is associated with their music as their genre would fit into a sci-fi movie and therefore the front cover gives the audience a brief idea of what to expect in the album.

This album is certainly eye catching due to the optical illusion on the front cover. The general public will be drawn in to the cover as it apparently moves, and the colours will add an extra bit of flavour to the cover. There is enough information on the cover, however when the clingfilm casing is taken off, so is any information about the CD which, in the long run, could turn out to be a wrong move on their (Animal Collective's) behalf.

This album cover is an innovative design which is created in the form of a booklet:

Milburn - These Are The Facts

This is the album cover to 'These Are The Facts' by Milburn. It shows four people with the heads of animals, something that you would not see every day. The setting and colour scheme of the photo is something that would catch the attention of the audience and also the layout of the image is something that has been cleverly thought out.

• The colouring of the sky is not a natural background colour. The photographer has used the 'Sepia' effect which gives the colours a more orangey tint. This colour is in conjunction with the phonebooth and the animal heads on the 4 main people. They have managed to give the grass a grey colour instead of the standard luscious green that is more often associated with grass. This could make the public turn their heads as this is not what they are used to, and therefore the desired effect will have been created as they have managed to gain attention by using slightly different colourings to what we would expect.


• The photographer has used the rule of thirds to a good extent with the main interests of the cover all being in different areas of the cover. To the left we have someone with a pig's head - something that features in the video to their single (What Will You Do) off this album. To the top left and running into the top middle section we have the name of the album and the band name; again, the name of the band is written in a much larger and more extravagent font. Down the middle of the image is the phonebooth, and to the right are the two remaining figures. This cover has been well spread out as it is not too cluttered despite the subject and topic of the cover being quite confusing.


• The narrative of the photo is quite strange compared to those of different album covers. It is not a conventional cover in the fact that it is not obvious what the photographer was trying to convey. This is a strange marketing technique as this could make customers move away from the CD as they don't quite understand the concept behind the photo, however people may also move towards the album because they are curious as to what the album could include and possibly that the answers lie inside the album.


• The four characters are all dressed up for the occasion as they are all wearing suits and ties. One is holding a briefcase and so this will cause the public to ponder whether they are businessmen or something else; they will be wondering why they have dressed up in such a strange combination of clothes.

The mise-en-scene of this cover is different to what we (the public) would expect - the main image is confusing, the colouring off and the costumes and props seemingly irrelevant and mixed. This can be a recipe for disaster however in this case it has been put together in such a way that the public can only help but be drawn in and therefore I believe that this is a very clever CD cover.

50 Cent - Before I Self Destruct

This is the front cover to the album 'Before I Self Destruct' by 50 Cent. It shows 50 Cent (a very recognisable figure in rap) slouched on a chair looking straight at the camera in a provocative manner with a raised eyebrow. There is the customary 'Parental Advisory' sticker to the bottom left of the cover as this warns to some explicit material in the lyrics. This is something often found within the rap genre.

• There is one main image, and that is of Curtis '50 Cent' Jackson. He is a well supported figure in rap music and one that everyone will know, no matter what genre of music they listen to. This is a good idea as the public will immediately associate the album with 50 Cent and therefore awareness is always being raised. He is the central figure of the image, there is nothing else to distract the attention away from him.


• There is audience interaction from the image, as 50 Cent is looking directly at the public from the image. This eye contact can be somewhat provocative however it could also challenge the public to buy the album. His fans will feel a connection between themselves and 50 Cent just by this simple eye contact and therefore the public will feel compelled to buy the album due to the 'connection'.


• The album cover uses the rule of thirds to a good quality, even though some sections are bare. To the top left we have perhaps the most important part of the front cover, 50 Cent's face. With this being the central figure of the front cover it is important that it is placed in a position such that it can influence the cover. By putting his face in the top left corner they have ensured that it can be seen even when stacked behind other CDs and therefore will always be on display.


• At the top right of the screen is the customary artist name '50 Cent' which takes up the top right square. Due to this it is a good size as it fills it and therefore it will be easily seen as it is a large figure on the cover. Just underneath this is the name of the album, again in a smaller and less extravagant font. The parental advisory warning is in the bottom left sector, where all warnings are placed.


• At the top middle is 50 Cent's hand, raised in line with his head. This is an important pose as otherwise the CD cover would look too bare, and so due to the addition of this hand it makes the cover look fuller. The hand gesture is in a pondering position, however it still comes across as being provocative. This, again, will possibly intimidate the public. This is an expression that I would expect from music of this genre.


• The colours of this CD cover are black and dark grey. This could relate to the intensity of the album and the dark lyrics that are within the songs. 50 Cent is wearing all black and is sitting in front of a dark grey backdrop. This makes him stand out as the central figure.


• 50 Cent is wearing 'bling', in this case a silver chains and a watch. This, again, fits in with the common stereotype of rappers and this genre of music. Tattoos are also apparent on his forearms.

The mise-en-scene of the album cover is something that I would wholly expect from an album with the genre of rap music. A central image (the front man), bling, a dark atmosphere, provocative gestures etc. All of these things will appeal to the people who follow this genre of music and therefore an album cover containing all of these things can only cause people to take notice. This album cover is only really appealing to people who listen to this genre and there is nothing to say that other members of the public may enjoy the music produced. This album cover is only advertised to a niche target audience.

Pink Floyd - Dark Side Of The Moon

Now we come to possibly the most famous and most recognisable album cover of all time. 'Dark Side Of The Moon' by Pink Floyd is instantly recognisable and an album that the majority of people will know about. There have been many parodies of this album cover, some clearly better than others (see right hand picture). This album cover has become a marketing technique and many a company has taken advantage of the fact that the cover is so well known.

• The black background ensures that the colours on top are vibrant and stand out more so than if the background were white. The cover represents light passing through a prism and splitting into a spectrum. This creates an array of vibrant colours which certainly catch the eye. The image itself is very well known due to the fact that it is light getting split into different colours, however it is now more well known as the cover of the Pink Floyd album. The vibrant colours certainly stand out and attract the public towards it.


• The pure simplicity of the album makes it stand head and shoulders above the rest. One main, simple picture on a black background. This is much more simple than any of the other CD covers that I have analysed in this post as it requires no photoshoots, no costumes and limited time to create. The simplicity of the album cover is certain to attract the public as it does not look cluttered.


• The main image is that of the triangle, positioned slap bang in the middle of the cover. The colours coming out either side are more attractive than the triangle, and so these are the things that will draw the audience in to browse the album.


• To the top right of the cover is the name of the band and the album. The name of the band is, in this case, the same size and font as the album name and they are both circled. All of it is white on the black background which will make it much easier to see, however it has been made much smaller than other CD names so as not to distract the audience away from the main image.


• There are other variations of this CD cover where there is no circle in the top right, and no album or band name. Due to the famous nature of the CD cover they have managed to get away with it because the majority of people will associate that image with this album.


• Parodies of this album sleeve have been made ever since it was created, and I am sure they will not stop for a while to come. As with the image above, 'Pork Side Of The Moon' seems to be a special offer for pork at Cab City Combo, and so they have cleverly used this as an advertising technique and a play on words to attract new members of the public to dine with them.


• People will have to pay for the rights to use the album sleeve in such a way and therefore Pink Floyd will get money when these parodies are made.

This album cover is simple yet effective. 36 years later it is still one of the most famous album sleeves of all time and therefore it has clearly been very well designed and created.

Conclusions

So, having looked at these 5 covers, I have come across the following codes and conventions:

• Colour - The colour scheme is rarely basic. This is due to the band trying to grab the public's attention and therefore plain, dull colours are not going to do anything, whereas expressive, vibrant colours will certainly cause a stir.
• Text - The artist name is bigger than the album title. This is becuase people will be more aware of the band rather than the name of the album. The band is the main selling point.
• Imagery - The imagery used is clever as they all grab the attention in their separate ways. 50 Cent uses eye-contact whereas Pink Floyd have taken a well known image and used it to good effect. The optical illusion of Animal Collective is something to consider, whereas a complicated image such as Milburn's is something I will avoid due to the confusing nature of it.

From these 5 albums I have decided that I am going to do a picture as a front cover. I believe that a well taken picture is the best option because it is simple and can relate to many different themes, however I will avoid complication such as with Milburn's cover. The name of the band will be in a bigger font to the name of the album.