ALBUM ADVERT FURTHER DESIGNS
In the feedback I received about my promotional package, someone commented that I should experiment with putting a red light spill on the top of the page, as well as the bottom. In this version, I have added one in the top left corner. This breaks the page up a bit, and adds more of a frame for the image.
In this version I have added basic text. I have attempted to make it stand out more, as I also received comments that the text was difficult to read. This has been done by putting a shadow behind the title, and making the words ‘OUT NOW’ bold.
I dislike how dark the text was on the previous edit, and therefore decided to lighten it in this version. I have kept the shadow underneath the title, but made the font a lighter grey. I have also changed the colour of the words ‘OUT NOW’, in order to stand out more whilst fitting the already established colour scheme.
I wanted to try something completely different in this draft, so I moved the location of the words ‘OUT NOW’ and altered the blending mode. I think this gives a nice effect, however I would expect to see this sort of style on a pop music advert, rather than one for an indie song.
After my previous draft, I started to feel like the design was getting over-complicated, and I’ve decided to stay away from the extra light spill, although I do believe it helped to frame the picture. For that reason, I took the image back into photoshop in the hope of making a similar, but less complicated design.
I have made the text darker in this version, and changed the font of the words ‘OUT NOW' so that all the typography remains the same throughout. Use of a gradient at the top of the page helps to frame the image without it looking too busy, however I think the colour is too dark.
I attempted using red for the gradient in this version so that it stays within the colour scheme, however the connotations and immediate reaction to this colour are far more negative than I had intended, and it seems to close the image off, as opposed to framing it. Therefore, I will be experimenting with more colours.
I really like this light blue, because although it doesn’t fit the existing colour scheme, it nicely frames the subjects whilst still being light enough not to close off the image and make it feel dismal. The colour blue could easily represent the seaside location, or the sky, making the advert feel warm and summery.
Another idea I wanted to experiment with was the use of a gradient at the bottom of the image. This is conventional of music magazine adverts, as it draws the eye to the key information on the page. I decided to use white as it is a colour already predominant in the image, however it feels unprofessional and unsatisfying.
Instead of white, I have put the gradient at the bottom in black. I think this looks more professional, however I dislike the harsh juxtaposition of the black and the sand. I think it would look more effective if the black covered more of the bottom of the image.
In this version I have zoomed the image in, so that I could move it down and cover more of the girls’ feet. I prefer this version as it feels like the black is merging seamlessly into the picture, rather than breaking it up. It feels more like a cohesive piece, however the gap above the girls suddenly seems big and empty.
In an attempt to fill the gap between the girls and the title, I have included review stars. I like the colour and placement of them, however I feel like it gives the advert more of a rock feel, rather than indie. It doesn’t conform to the minimalistic style that I have set up.
Finally, I have substituted the stars with a small line of information about the forms that the song is available on. This gives more detail about the product and is still minimalistic. I like this version very much, as it encapsulates each element that of the previous versions that I liked. However, it doesn’t contain the gradient.
These are my two favourite versions of the album advert. Although they are quite different, there are elements that I like in both. I will show these to my focus group in order to gain opinions about people’s preferences.
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