Miss Miller - Digipak Analysis

Digipaks are a set of 6 discs which often has 2 CDs within it, created by a content creator as an addition add on to provide with bonus CD's, an artists message towards the fans and a number of other things. They typically consist of a fold book design towards them, or have a paperboard or cardboard outer binding, with one or more plastic trays for the CDs within the digipak itself. Digipak-style packaging is often used for CD singles or special editions of CD albums. Digipak-style cases grew in popularity among record labels and recording artists in the early 2000s. There are a large number of differences between digipaks and regular CD sales, and bonuses as to why someone may purchase a digipak appose to just the CD. Firstly digipak’s contain higher quality images and meaning in them, providing with a generally higher quality product. They usually contain a letter/note from the artist directly to the fans, giving it a more 'personal’ feel from the artist towards the fan. Sometimes they contain bonus tracks, whereas the CD version may not, therefore proving with more content. Digipaks have 6 sides, so there are more opportunities for visible artwork to be present, potential examples being information, lyrics and promotions. This way the artist has a better chance at attracting potential buyers, as they will see the digipak as more than just a disc of music. This is due to the additional content within which isn't present in other forms of music sale, one example being the possibility for an artists message to be within, which is appealing towards the target audience as they may feel closer to the artist and may be able to create a relationship with them because of it. Along this, another big reason towards a digipaks appeal in comparison to a dual CD pack is that they are much more desirable and collectable items. A jewel case is easily ripped when removed or put back into the plastic grips, making it unappealing to remove. On a digipak, all information is very easily accessible, making it more appealing and long lasting. 

The digipak I have chosen to analyse is by the artist Gabrielle Aplin, who falls into the indie genre of music, the same as my chosen artist. The digipak is from her album named "English rain".

The music artists representation is evident throughout the images of the digipak. The artist Grabrielle Aplin can only be seen clearly in one shot within the digipak, where she is behind an umbrella. As well as this, her body is covered by an umbrella, only her face and feet being visible. This could show that the artist would like the attention to be drawn more towards her music rather than her appearance, and that she might be a shy and passive person. This is effective towards creating an image of an artist which cares a lot about her work and sets that as priority, trying to please her fans oppose to caring so much about her appearance and status as a music artist. This is evident through focusing very little upon the visuals, and leaving a lot towards personal interpretation as to what might be included within the digipak. This might entice the reader to want to buy the digipak as they may feel as if they are getting a fuller experience of what the artist might be able to provide. This is appealing towards them as they might like the artist more from her down to earth portrayal of not being a flashy star who's main priority is there appearance towards the media, also showing how she cares about her work which the reader might see as her providing with better quality content. 

There are a few potential connotations of the digipak which could be shown. The artist isn't present very often within the digipak, as she can only be seen behind an umbrella. One potential connotation could be that the artist is a distant person, as she is focused away from the camera, and her body is hidden. This could also show how the artist could be self conscious about the way that she looks, or alternatively that she is trying to say that she believes that her music and lyrics have more importance than her appearance. This is effective towards creating an image of an artist which draws more attention towards her music oppose to her physical image. This is as it may make people want to purchase her new album and digipak as the visuals within the digipak are rather plain and dont have much occuring, through the elements mentioned previously this could imply that her musical content is interesting and colourful, as well as showing that she cares a lot about what she releases as she connotes that it is more important than her image as a star. This may make the reader want to purchase the digipak and the new album as it provides with a deeper insight towards the artist, as well as the content potential being good due to its importance towards the artist and its significance shown towards the reader. 

The use of colours within the digipak are conventional to the indie genre, and are effective towards the portrayal of the artist and genre. The colours within the CDs contrast between each other quite drastically, as the backgrounds are quite grey and dark; appearing to be edited to have a lower saturation, providing with retro looking visuals. Alongside this, the bright colours which are present within the CDs are very generic and standard colours. Through having the presence of both, this could be used to show the artist as having a particular interest in retro style, and that she produces musical content which follows an old style, which may appeal towards an older target audience. Alongside this, the items which are present within the digipak are things which many would associate with the past and previous years, an umbrella and ballon can be seen, alongside big open spaces. Having this alongside old fashioned type colours, this could also connote to the reader that the album is based upon previous experiences of the artist, as the artist is present within the images. This is conventional to the indie genre as the songs often are based upon the previous experiences of the artist, which is present throughout a large number of songs, and this theme is connoted through the use of the colours throughout the digipak. This would therefore be appealing towards the target audience as they may feel as if they are being provided with a more 'personal' insight into the artist, as the theme which is being connoted tells  of personal accounts of the artist, making them potentially be able to relate towards the experiences and emotions which are expressed throughout

The choice of images I believe is an essential part towards the importance of the digipak. This is as the presence of the images has a large number of purposes towards them, one which I have identified being the portrayal of the artist, alongside connoting to the viewer what type of music the artist creates and releases. This is evident through the use of an umbrella and balloons, alongside the saturation of the visuals being lowered to provide with a retro feel. This is conventional to the indie genre as the use of lowering the saturation of either the visuals or a still image is often present. This is effective towards portraying the artists image as someone who creates and prefers old styles of music, and prefers her music to reflect this, which is achieved through the saturation filter and the use of items which many would associate with past experiences, such as the balloon and umbrella. The target audience of her content may find this appealing as it conveys a more personal reflection of the artist, through the connotations of the inclusion of the images mentioned, implying to potential new fans what type of music she enjoys to create. Alongside this, fans of the indie genre are not often young, and having a retro feel emitted through the visuals of the digipak may be more appealing towards them, oppose to having a more plain and basic design towards it. 

The digipak doesn't contain that much text within it, although the use of language is still evident. This can be seen bellow. For the front cover of the CD, the text seen on front states "Gabrielle x". The purpose behind this could link towards creating a more "personal" feel of the digipak towards the target audience, in the aim of making them able to connect with the artist of a deeper level. This is as the text looks as if it has been handwritten, alongside the presence of a kiss at the end. Through having the text look as if its been hand written, it may make it come across as a personal piece of work, making those that see it feel as if the artist are catering towards them and just them. This one on one type of connection is further re-enforced through having a kiss at the end of the artists name, as it is almost as if the artist is trying to show a personal form of love per say towards anyone which sees it. This is conventional to the indie genre as though having this use of text and language present, it allows for a relationship to be built between those that see the digipak and the artist; this type of relationship is usually tried to be formed within indie artists work through micro-elements, in this case through the language and text use. 

I would say that the digi pack does promote the indie music genre, which is achieved through a number of ways. This is done through its appeal towards the target audience, as it follows a number of conventions of the music genre which makes it evident to those that see it that the content belongs to an indie artist. The indie genre often tries to stay diverse in what is included throughout a number of artists work, having a large number of aspects throughout which could be considered as being conventional, although throughout this particular digipak I believe the genre is promoted through following two main conventions, the first being the presence of the retro images, and the next being the artists portrayal towards the viewer which is achieved through the language use. Both of which are effective as they target directly towards fans of the genre, and also make it apparent to those that aren't fans that this artist belongs to the indie genre. More specifically the digipak is directly catered towards the target audience as they are often older and find retro images and content more appealing and unorthodox to the norms of music, as well as the direct appeal of feeling as if they are almost receiving a personal message from the artist through the use of handwriting like font. All of the above elements allow for the content to be appealing towards fans of the indie genre, and to make it clear towards other people that the digipak is of an artist who creates indie content, due to the many elements which reflect this. 

The digipak helps towards promoting the artist. This is as through the use of many different elements throughout the digipak, they assist towards making the artist come across as being more down to earth and appealing for the target audience. This is achieved through giving a more personal feel towards the artists portrayal through including more personal like elements, such as the use of handwriting like text. Alongside this, the text says "Gabrielle x", the handwriting like text alongside the kiss making the slogan of the digipak seeming as if its like a personal message towards the reader. This makes the artist look as if she cares a lot about her fan base, through including this it may make for a relationship to be built between the reader and artist, as they may feel as if they are being given a more personal insight into the artist and that they are addressing them directly. This is effective as it makes the artist come across in a generally more like able light, making her more accessible to the 'average' person, potentially allowing for more purchases and attention drawn towards the digipak. 

This digipak does in fact attract an audience. This is as it does not show off any flashy lifestyles or cars and half naked girls within the digipak, which reflects a mature theme and nature towards it which is iconic to the genre itself. The audience can relate to this and potentially find the artist to be more accessible, as it is catered more towards fans of the indie genre, and the typical everyday music fan may find it appealing as it doesn't make them dream of a better lifestyle and become jealous of the artist. Overall it attracts those that are more mature and realists, just wanting to enjoy music instead of envy the artists behind it, which indie fans often prefer as the digipak and artist focus's more upon content upon to showing off an extravagant lifestyle.

I will use this research to inform my planning, alongside gathering ideas for what I will include within my own artists digipak. Firstly, it will assist with planning for when I go to create my own digipak as I have gathered a number inspirations through looking at a real life example. I intend upon using dull and gloomy like colours for the background, with some flashes of colour included. This will be done to convey a real and blunt vibe towards the visuals, also being a bit sad and depressive to an extent to enable for our audience to be able to relate towards our audience more, also making them possibly feel sympathy for the artist. This will be enough to be  real and relatable to our audience, making the music more accessible for them. We will also have our artist placed directly in the centre of the screen to help the audience focus on him, showing  direct mode of address to further assist with this, although for our artist I intend upon having the camera to be closer to the artist to draw more attention towards the visuals, including there facial expressions and clothing which will also assist towards making the audience relate towards them. Although I wish to have a blank background around him so there are no distractions for the audience, helping them memorise his face and therefore helping him to get more exposure and to try to make his face get out there, trying to appeal towards a wider audience.

Miss Miller - Magazine advert analysis

Magazine album covers have a large number of reasons towards there purpose, including the following. The first of which purpose is clear cut is to simply promote an artists album which they may have only released. This is as they get more exposure to the public, alerting them towards the existence of the album. Another reason is to appeal toward a wider audience oppose to just the previous fans of the artist which have been anticipating another album. This is as those that read magazines will have access to the advert as well as those that listen to music. Another reason towards the advert presence is to constantly remind people of the existence of an upcoming album. This enables for fans of the artists previous albums to be alerted towards them releasing a new album. Another reason is to link the advertisement in with other advertisements of the album, through doing so using more forms of marketing towards the album release. Through this additional marketing sources, it could get more support from other companies to further push sales. Lastly, it could also be done to link the articles of the magazine with the advertisements of the artist, through doing which benefiting both the magazine and artist. In regards to the magazine, this is beneficial as they can cater the magazine towards a particular group of people that the advertisements appeal towards, as they are linked together, through doing so making it appealing towards a specific target audience. In regards to the artist, this is beneficial as the people that are likely to read the magazine (potentially indie fans as the articles link towards the artist), the adverts get seen by the right group of people, maximizing the amount of money which could have been spent for the adverts to be present besides the articles.

I have chosen two adverts to analyse, one being from my chosen artist Jake Bugg, and the other being an album advert for Ed Sheeran, who is another example of a indie artists. I have chosen these two particular adverts for a few reasons. Both adverts appear to have a large number of similarities within them, in regards to both the portrayal of the artist and the conventions which are present throughout. This is therefore a good basis of comparison to compare both the differences and similarities of my chosen artists method behind his adverts beside a fellow artist within the same genre.

Above is the Jake Bugg album advertisement for his new album nearing the end of 2013. The slogan at the bottom can be seen, which is "me and you" with the release date just above it. The use of this Slogan is conventional to the indie genre as it promotes the artist to be on a similar level to the person reading it. This is evident through the use of language, as it promotes a viewer and artist connection. Paired alongside only the artist and his shadow being present within the shot alongside the text and the backdrop. This makes the person viewing it relate towards the artist and come across in a more personal way. This is particularly common for the indie music genre as the artists within the genre often come down in a down to earth and relatable light, through doing so making there portrayal more appealing for the average person. This is beneficial for the target audience as it makes the artist come across in a more appealing, through doing so making them feel close to the artist on a personal level. 

There are a number of connoted meanings which could be interpreted within this advert by Jake Bugg. One could be identified through the use of the slogan "me and you", where the artist Jake Bugg can be seen as the only person present on the page, alongside his shadow on the wall which he is leaning on. This could possibly mean that he can't look out for anyone else, having only his own back that he can lean on if he's in need. This could also be reaching out towards the viewer of the artist and fans of him and his music, as through the slogan and this representation, it could try to make him come across in a down to earth. Through doing this, it is appealing for the target audience as they may sympathize with the artist, which could promote a relationship to be built between the artist and reader. This is conventional to the music genre as indie artists often try to come across in this way to appeal towards there target audience through the portrayal of them via their media products.

The Artist promotes the music genre within the magazine advert. This is evident through the portrayal of the artist, through the body language and possible connotations behind such, as well as the colours of the background within the advert. The colour orange in itself is abstract, not particularly being conventional towards any genre or having a distinctive purpose towards it. For this reason it is conventional and represents the genre as a whole as it  is very diverse in what is included, as artists often try to stand out from the norms and make themselves come across as being different and unique, which is achieved through the use of colour on this occasion, as orange is a commonly unused colour. This is appealing towards fans of the artist as it shows him as being different to other artists in and out of the genre, making him come across as a unique and offbeat content creator, making him stand out as one of a kind. For this reason it could entice people to buy his new album because of his unorthodox portrayal. 

The use of colours throughout this advert is evidently conventional to the indie music genre. This is as for the background colour orange is used, which in itself many would consider to be an abstract colour. For this reason it is conventional to the indie genre as indie artists often try to portray themselves as being different and offbeat; going against the norms of the music industry which is evident here through the use of a rarely used colour. Through including this it portrays the artist as being abstract and different, which is appealing towards the target audience as it shows the artist as not being the same as everyone else and that he has something unique about himself, which be reflected with the music which he produces.

The design/ layout of the post is used to be conventional to the indie genre, and to assist with the portrayal of the artist. The artist is placed far away from the center of the visuals, as he can be seen in the bottom left hand corner holding his guitar looking away from the camera, the text being the main focus with the date of its release. This is conventional as it portrays him as being a distant loner, which is connoted through the artist being placed far away from the camera. This is appealing for the target audience as they may sympathize with the artist, through the beaten down portrayal which they may be able to relate to. Also, this could be appealing for the target audience as it also shows him as being a down to earth individual which may be fighting inner conflicts, as he has a long facial expression. This portrays the artist as being a person oppose to an extraordinary star who is simply a piece of the media, which makes him come across as being generally more like able and more relatable towards his target audience.

The choices of images within the magazine advert would be considered as conventional to the indie genre. This is as one of the main images within the frame which the artist is holding is a guitar. Within the genre artists are often seen with musical instruments, often guitars as it is conventional to that form of music. Having the artist carry this shows people that view the magazine advert that he belongs to the indie genre, as they might have not known about the artist previously. This is appealing for the viewer as fans of the indie genre will find this to be a familiar sight of the artist, and will be what they would expect to find when seeing the artist on a magazine advertising his latest album.

This magazine advert promotes the artist through his portrayal. This is as the artist is shown in a down to earth light due to a number of elements, one being the use of the language of the magazine, more specifically the slogan of the advert "Me and You". This shows him as being a genuine person trying to connect to his fan base on a more person level, rather than coming across as being a fake star. This is appealing for the target audience as it makes the artist come across in a generally more like able way, due to this down to earth portrayal, as the reader may feel as if they may be able to relate more with the artist because of the 'personal' connection he trys to form between the reader. Another reason why the advert might promote the artist could relate towards his portrayal once again, this time due to the use of colours within the advert. This is as he is shown as being a down to earth individual, oppose to a product as mentioned previously , and through the use of the colour orange he is shown as being different and diverse as it is not a common colour that people use. Because of this the reader may find the artist more appealing as he may stand out as being a unique artist and content creator, as shown with the many elements evident throughout. 

This advert does in fact attract an audience, which is achieved through the presence of genre conventions. The magazine advert by Jake Bugg is catered towards an indie audience and fans of the genre, which is made evident with what is included throughout. Examples of such being the use of colours and the orange, another being the artists emotionless facial expression, followed by the presence of the guitar. All of the above are what fans of the indie genre would expect and want to find within a magazine advert from Jake Bugg, which they may find appealing as it is a familiar sight and a portrayal which they have become familiar, maintaining the potential image of the star they know and admire. Alongside this, it attracts potential new fans due to the artist allowing for a relationship to be built between the reader, assisted with the prescience of  "Me and You", making it seem more direct towards just the reader. They may find this appealing and become fans of the artist as they may like his down to earth character, feeling as if they'd be able to get a better insight towards the artist if they were to purchase his album.

The artists representation is evident through a number of elements within the magazine. Ed Sheerans face covers one half of the magazine, and the other half is filled. This could show how the artist is someone who likes to keep himself to himself, as his face is also blended in with he background and is quite hard to see, which may also show him as perhaps being a distant person as he is blended in with the background. This is conventional to the indie genre as artists within the genre aren't usually bubbly and "out there", often being shown as being distant to others, often conveying personal emotions towards the viewer within there music videos. This is appealing for the viewer as the artist isnt shown as being too extravagant; coming across in a more down to earth light which they may be able to relate towards. This may allow for the viewer to form a relationship between the artist on the advert due to this down to earth portrayal, as he isn't shown as having a star like popular background. 

Another way the artist is represented within the magazine advert is evident with his facial expression, which is quite stern and serious as the artist is looking directly towards the front cover. This may have been done to show that the artist Ed Sheeran is a serious person, and is serious about the content which he creates, which can be seen through his facial expression. This is conventional to the indie genre as artists within often don't show much emotion, implying that they have serious personalities and treat there profession as top priority, which is often true as indie artists usually experience the hardest struggles with trying to create appealing content towards a large group of people, as they are not usually very popular due to the exclusiveness of their music. This is appealing for the target audience as it makes it clear to fans of the artist and potential new fans that he does care about what he does, and that he puts in a lot of effort with trying to please fans of his work, which may make the viewer appreciate the effort of the artist more and may entice them to purchase their new album. 

Connotations are hidden implied messages, which could arguably be present within this magazine advert by Ed Sheeran. As mentioned previously, the artists face covers one side of the magazine and the other side is covered by the name of the album, and places where it can be purchased. A connotation of this could potentially be that to experience the artist as a whole, fans will have to purchase his new album as it may show a new and different side to the artist. This is as he is showing a close up and direct mode of address towards those that read it, giving the cover of the magazine a more personal like feel due to this positioning, but only showing the artist on half of the cover, assisting towards the connotation as it links towards experiencing the artist on a greater and different level. This is conventional to the indie genre as indie artists often include implied and hidden meanings throughout there content. This is as it provides with something more and unique, making them stand out amongst other artists through keeping there image different. This connotation is appealing for the target audience as they may feel as if they are receiving a more personal insight towards the artist if they were to purchase his new album, alongside the direct mode of address of the artist providing with a more personal feel, which may make the audience feel closer to the artist as an individual. 

The use of colours within this magazine advert are very conventional to the indie genre, and represent the genre as a whole. Alongside the other images on top of the magazine cover, the colour of the whole background is orange. Orange itself is a offbeat colour which isnt used much by many music content creators, and has a number of purposes behind its use. Firstly, it portrays the artist as being unique and different to other artists, as it makes him stand our amongst other indie artists and the colour orange is rarely ever used. It could also portray the artist as creating different and unique music which stands out amongst others, as the artist can be seen through the orange background. This is conventional to the indie genre and represents it as the genre as a whole is very diverse in what is included, as artists often try to stand out from the norms and make themselves come across as being different and unique, which is achieved through the use of colour on this occasion, as orange is a commonly unused colour. This is appealing towards fans of the artist as it shows him as being different to other artists in and out of the genre, making him come across as a unique and offbeat content creator, making him stand out as one of a kind. For this reason it could entice people to buy his new album because of his unorthodox portrayal. 

The choices of images within this magazine advert are conventional to this genre of music. The advert itself consists of the artists face showing a direct mode of address, alongside the album name, artists name and places where his new album can be purchased. The artists face almost blends in with the colour of the background, making the other images on screen clearly visible as they are of a different colour. This makes the album name stand out, as well as making the places where it can be purchased stand out also. Through having the artist show a direct mode of address towards the reader, as well as making the places where the album can be purchased clearer to see, this could entice the reader to want to purchase it. This may be due to the artist creating a relationship between the reader, as his face would be looking directly towards the reader, which may make them feel as if they are getting a deeper insight towards the artist as a person, as the left side of the artists face which is besides the places to buy the album isn't very visible, therefore to experience the artist fully they may feel inclined to purchase the album. This is conventional to the indie genre as the artists within the genre aren't usually very well known (not as applicable now with Ed Sheeran), although through the use of these images it gets the artists face out there, and while doing so providing with a connotation which may entice the reader to purchase his album, as the artist comes across in a more down to earth and likable way through the 'personal' connection. 

The advert promotes the music genre in a number of ways. Firstly, the advert generally follows a large number of conventions throughout the indie genre, although through doing this also stands out as being a unique piece of work. Conventions such as the artists facial expression being stern and emotionless, to the use of orange as the main colour of the advert which is a very unique and offbeat colour to use, to the mood of address which the artist uses to direct to the viewer. All of the above clearly demonstrates that the advert belong to an artist which creates indie music content, standing out from the norms of other genres and being unique while in the process of following conventions, which is evident through the colour use as orange in itself is symbolic of what the genre stands for as it is rarely ever used or worn, and is different to what people would expect, making it unique and convention due to the effect it has towards the artists portrayal. This is conventional to the indie genre as the genre often tries to promote individuality and straying from the norms of what is expected, which is present in this case, although while in the process the artist has included a large number of conventions throughout which assist towards making the artist come across in a more appealing and down to earth light; helping their image which may assist with gaining potential new fans and for people to purchase their new album. 

The advert also promotes the artist in a number ways. It makes the artist come across in a generally down to earth and appealing way, while doing so providing with a more 'personal' feel towards the viewer and artist. This is achieved through the artists portrayal, which through the direct mode of address makes him come across as someone who is close to his fans and people that enjoy his content, providing the viewer with a feeling of having a better insight towards the artist. Alongside this he is shown as being dedicated towards his work which is achieved through the use of  the artists composed and stern facial expression, which makes him come across in a better light for a number of reasons; as it shows he puts effort into his work and is not a lazy person, which the viewer may appreciate. For these reasons, it shows how the artist clearly cares about both his fan base and the content which he releases for them, conveying this through micro elements. Alongside this, he comes across as having a down to earth portrayal, and not so much one of a well known rich and famous star, which is appealing towards the viewer as they may feel as if they can relate more towards him for this reason.  

The advert does in fact attract an audience. This is achieved through the artists portrayal which is positive, as well the presence of conventions from within the indie genre. As the artist belongs to the indie genre, the magazine advert is catered towards fans of the genre. This is evident as it is made clearly apparent that the magazine advert belongs to an indie artist, which fans of the genre and the artist may find appealing, as it consists of elements which they would expect to find. Alongside this, as the artist comes across in a generally likable and down to earth way through his portrayal as mentioned previously, this attracts potential new fans that may be fans of the indie genre, due to this, and alongside the presence of conventions from within the genre. 

Conclusion

I will use this research to inform me to what to expect within magazine adverts within the indie genre, and to what effect that they are included. Through looking at two examples, one being by my chosen artist and a similar counterpart, it will enable me to get a better insight into what conventions I would want to include into my own advert; also giving me a basis for comparison so I can gather inspiration from my chosen artist, so that I can build upon the idea. This is also helpful as it enables me to see the use of conventions with the other artists advert, and to see where certain ones will be suitable, and to what effect they are used. Within the two magazines I have analysed, it is evident that both share similarities between each other, one being the use of the colour orange. As both artists are successful and well known, including conventions which have been done in the examples should assist towards making my own magazine advert to seem similar to real life counterparts.  All of this will therefore help with the creating my own magazine advert as I now have a better insight towards what fans of the genre would expect to find and to what effect, allowing for a basis which I can develop upon to suit my group and I's artist and what type of portrayal we try to make come across, and how this will help the reader be able to relate more towards our artist.