Analysis of current Digi Pack Covers and Adverts

Digi Pack Covers

1.Beyonce - B'Day Anthology Video Album













This video cover has a very natural feel to it, the artist has been portrayed as a natural beauty on both the front and back covers. She is pictured outdoors amongst a green landscape wearing a traditional country girl outfit on the front cover. On the back cover there is a close up shot where the top of her shoulders are showing, she appears to be naked, this makes the artist appear very pure and as though her music is also very pure, without any edits or artificial vocals. She looks very radiant in both images. On the front cover there is a small embellishment in the top left hand corner, in front of which is the artists name, “Beyonce”, in a decorative, old English font, beneath this is the title and subtitle of the DVD, all the text and embellishment is in black and white which contrasts the highly saturated image of Beyonce. The photograph on the front cover wraps around to fill the edge of the DVD box as well, the same name and title is used for the edge of the case. She looks very bold and independent on the front cover, this may have been to symbolise her breaking from girl group, “Destiny’s Child” and her progression into a confident solo artist. The back cover contains all the information about the DVD, there is a small paragraph at the top followed by a numbered list of all the tracks included on the DVD, in the image of the artist she appears to be looking up at the list of songs which helps to draw the readers eye to the text. Beyonce has a huge, and varied group of fans, however I feel only the most dedicated of fans would go and buy a DVD containing her music videos as most would simply buy the CD. Though I feel the target market for this product is fairly niche, there is still not one specific group that it would be aimed at. She appeals to children as a lot of her music makes the charts as well as teenagers and adults, both male and female like Beyonce’s music thought men might be more likely to want to watch her on screen as they find her attractive.

2. Jack Johnson and Friends - Weekend at the Greek, Live in Japan












This cover is fairly simple and is set on a black background, the only other colours used are white, red and blue, apart from a small yellow logo. The colour scheme makes the cover look classy and unique. A red spot has been placed behind the white text to represent the Japanese flag as the footage was all taken in Japan. A simple sans serif font has been used throughout, though there is not a lot of text on the cover. On the front everything has been left aligned making in different to a lot of covers which would general keep everything central. There is a title, followed by the artists name in a much larger font. Then there’s a photograph of Jack Johnson, the image is in black and white and he is looking down from the camera. He’s smiling and appears to be a friendly, likeable person which compliments his music well as he sings a lot of happy lyrics. A small blurb is placed beneath the image. On the back cover of the DVD case is an image of Jack Johnson travelling on the train, this may represent his travel to perform in Japan. The image almost puts the artist and the train in silhouette with the sun shining in through the window extremely brightly.

3. Bob Marley - Get Up, Stand Up














The first thing I noticed about this cover is the typical Jamaican, Reggae colour scheme which has been used. All covers are predominantly Red, Yellow and Green with black and white also used. This gives the cover a distinct style which consumers are familiar with, this would immediately attract a fan of Reggae music. The artists name, “Bob Marley” is in a large, bold, capital font, this is what the eye is drawn to first, this has been done as he is a well known artist with almost iconic status and a large following. There is also a large image of the artist performing which has been edited to give the cover a psychedelic look. The editing has been done to help emphasis the artists signature advertisement style. Beneath the image is the title of the DVD which is significantly smaller, this is because for such a well know artist the name and the image are the most important features. The back cover includes a list if the tracks which are on the DVD and a small blurb for each track, this is so the viewer can see at a glance what each track is about. Four smaller images are below this showing footage taken from the DVD to give the viewer an idea of what’s on the DVD.
There is a strong link between the “get up, stand up” CD and the “get up, stand up” DVD, people who already have the CD may then chose to purchase the DVD. I think the main target audience for this product would probably be males of around 30-40 years however Bob Marley does appeal to all ages and continues to be popular amongst young people.

4. Slipknot - Welcome to our neighbourhood














This is more the style of digi-pack cover that I would be hoping to achieve when creating my own product. It has a darker feel to it with the main colours being used being red and black. The band name and logo and on all faces of the cover, helping to promote and advertise themselves.
Slipknot have a very different approach to advertising as their faces are always hidden so fans don’t actually know what they look like. Their trademark is their intimidating masks which they are shown wearing on both images. The front cover includes only the title, the band name and a main image, keeping it simple and straight forward. This should catch the viewers attention, allowing them to then read the information displayed on the back cover. The font used for the title of the DVD is basic and circus-like in an almost sinister way. The back cover has a distressed style which fits in well with the genre of music and the bands image, the back cover also includes information on the contents of the DVD as well as an image of the accompanying CD, this is to help promote the artist. Bar code and parental advisory notice is also displayed on the cover.
The target audience for this DVD would be mostly males as they tend to enjoy metal music most, although females may also buy it. The age range is quite broad however would mostly be people aged 14 - 30 years old. At the time of release (2003) Slipknot already had quite a large following therefore consumers should hopefully recognise their style and buy the product due to their reputation.

5. T.A.T.U. - Screaming for More














I have chosen to look at this DVD cover for two main reasons: the first being that I like the dark, sinister feel to it but also because T.A.T.U. had a very unusual approach to advertisement and publicity. As a female act they wanted to stand out from other girl duets, they decided to pretend to be a couple to try and attract attention from the media. They succeeded in doing this, despite the fact that both women are actually heterosexual. The image used on the front cover has a very sexual look about it, this has been done simply to shock the viewer and intrigue them. The girls are posed in a provocative way wearing seductive costumes, this comes with connotations of sex and lesbianism. The mise en scene used all fits with this main concept which was all just a publicity stunt. The setting is a dark, dingy room with little lighting. The girls are posed close together and holding hands, this is the main focus of the front cover, also included is the artists name and the title of the DVD, both of these are made to fit around the central image. This has been done because typically ”sex sells” and consumers are more likely to be attracted to this type of product. The image makes the viewer think that there will be elements of sexuality on the DVD as well.
The back cover focus’s more on the band name and the title of the digi-pack, also including a list of the tracks that are on the DVD. The background for the back cover is an image of the room where the band is pictured on the front cover. There is also an image of the accompanying CD to try and promote this also.
I believe the target audience for this DVD would be the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender community, as well as heterosexual males. The age range for this type of DVD would be relatively specific, being people of about 16-20 years old.

Music Adverts

1.

The most striking thing about this advert is the colour scheme. Its extrememly bold using only yellow, black and white. This is suitable for a young target audience who will be attracted to it's bright but simplistic look. The style is very edgy, using a lot of stright lines at obscure angles. The font is simple and bold to catch the attention of a modern, fast paced young person. There is a minimal amount of text on this advert to keep it sharp and to the point. As it is advertising a music festival the key infomation (times and dates) are displayed large and in the centre of the advert, as well as the names of the bands performing. There is the outline of a guitar plectrum surrounding the main title which ties into the rock music theme. The single image of a young man and woman playing instruments is inkeeping with the rest of the advert as it is in the same colour scheme and uses straight parallel lines for the shadows. I feel this is extremely effective as an advert and would atract the appropriate target audience.

2.

As in the previous advert, this one is also predominantly black and white, this time using red as the accent colour. This is a theme that i would like to carry through my media project. This is very simplistic yet effective at advertising and premoting the band and their new album. A photograph of the band, the band name, album title and an image of the album are all displayed. In my opinion this is the essential infomation. The title of their album "Riot!" is almost a logo as it has been repeated for the background of the advert helping to keep this image in the viewers mind. The advert is very similar to the album cover which i feel is one of the key codes and conventions i must follow when making my own digi pack. The photograph of the band is taken as an extreme close up so only the faces of the band members are visible, this is something that i could consider using when making my own digi pack. The target audience for this album would be mostly teenagers aged 13-17 years, because of this is would be displayed in a magazine such as kerrang. This is also due to the fact they are a pop-rock band. This advert appeals to such an audience because of the grafitti style logo and attractive band members.

3.

The photograph of the artist is the main focus in this advert, this is because she is a successful female solo artist as well as being part of a successful ska band, meaning she will be easily recognised by viewers and fans. Gwen Stefani has a distinct image which is emphasised on this advert by the mise on scene and font types. A small image of the album is present at the bottom of the advert along with infomation such as the album title and tracks included on the album. In my opinion this advert is not effective as the viewer has to look closely to see what is actually being advertised. When creating my digi pack advert i will be warey of this error in order to avoid it. I do like the fact that it fits the style of all of Gwen Stefani's other work giving her her own trademark look.