Release poster/advert codes and conventions for pop music albums
Madeline Washington
Purpose The purpose of a poster/advert is to attract and entice and audience to buy an album. They will usually follow the same themes that are part of the digipak making it recognisable for the audience. Posters/adverts will include; • Artist’s name • Album name • Release date • Logos/artwork of the artist’s • Known singles on the album.
Artist’s name The artist name will usually be the biggest text on the poster. This is to quickly draw in the audience’s attention so that more copy’s will be sold. This is because the audience is more likely to know the artist’s name than the album name.
Album name The album name is usually the second largest font used on the poster. This informs the audience clearly of the product, making it easier to find when looking for it in shops or online.
Release date In terms of release date, there are two types of album posters. Poster’s that are published before the album has been released to the public. These will have the specific dates on that the album is released to buy. This is so audience could pre-order it and know when they can buy the music. Poster’s that published after the release of the album usually have written on them ‘out now’ or ‘available on ITunes’.
Imagery Imagery used on an album poster can consist of either photography or artwork. Imagery will be bold and eyecatching to stand out and ultimately sell more copies. Most pop albums use photographs of themselves looking directly at the camera. This is so that the audience connect with the artist and feel more inclined to buy it.
Typography Typography is the font of the poster must go with the theme of the digipak in order to create cohesion between products. Typography can also reflect the artist’s genre, as fonts connote different meanings.
Language Language used within the poster is usually short and snappy to trigger excitement in the audience to want to listen to the album. Also, the poster would usually be placed in a busy areas and short sentences can be read quickly and remembered.
Technical skills The technical skills of making a poster/advert are the same of those who are involved with making the technical skills of the digipak. These include; • •
The director
•
The producer
•
The photographer •
•
The artist
The editor The art director
However, there are a few more involved with the poster/advert, these are;
A graphic designer – who is responsible for designing the artist’s visual brand. They will create the style and look, as well as the initial, developed and final ideas of the look.
A financial advisor – who will distribute how much money will be spent in each area of the advert.
Design executive – who will approve and have say in what the graphic designer has produced.
Technical assistant – who is responsible for everything running smoothly and attempting to fix any problems that may occur.
Costume stylist – who will plan and style what the artist will wear and style.
Hair and makeup – who will plan and style the physical appearance of the artist.