Magazine advert analysis

The following post will display knowledge of conventions involved in a magazine advert. The advert will also be analysed in terms of its target audience. The analysis will be used as inspiration to create a conventional magazine advert for the chosen artist.

James Morrison - Songs for you, truths for me
A magazine advert is designed for promotional purposes. It is used to encourage, persuade or manipulate an audience to purchase an item. In terms of magazine adverts that feature an album, the item that is presented i.e. album is what the advert aims to promote. An advert that appeals to the target audience is most effective in terms of promoting the album and in turn increasing sales. If the magazine advert fails to understand its audience and so fails to display conventions, the advert will be ineffective. In order to seem appealing to the demographic, the magazine must present the artist in an effective way. It must therefore consider the representation of the artist. The colours used must also be highly considered as the audience may gather varied connotations. The typography is a significant element as it must entice the audience as well as connote specific elements. The aim of the magazine advert is not only to promote but also ensure that information regarding the album such as its name and release date is advertised.

The main focus of this advert is on the artist. The advert uses a long shot displaying the artist on the edge of a few steps that lead onto a road. The artist himself is dressed in casual clothing which presents him in an ordinary way; an aspects that conforms to Richard Dyer's paradox in which the artist must be ordinary as well as extraordinary for the consumer. The ordinary aspect allows the target audience to relate to the artist and therefore form a relationship. The casual style of his clothing which consist of jeans and a brown leather jacket may also connote the style of the album. The audience may be able to depict the idea of the album being about the experiences the artist has gone through; his representation conveying a sense of realism. Although the artist is presented in a way that allows the audience to relate, he is also likely to appeal to the female segment of the target market which he is aimed at. He is therefore visually appealing to his target market which is conventional of an artist of the pop genre.

The advert doesn't involve many different elements and can therefore be regarded as simplistic. This may also infer the idea of the album involving realistic experiences of the 'down to earth' artist. Due to its simplistic nature, the advert doesn't have many connotations that could be evolved upon. However the location the artist is seen in may potentially convey him being on the ground which in metaphorical terms refers to him being down and upset, his album may provide a reason for this.His facial expression reinforces this idea as the artist is seen in deep thought. 

The colours used in the magazine advert are toned down to reduce the vibrancy and create a sepia-like effect. The darkness of the advert can potentially connote the emotions felt by the artist and the emotions that will be evident throughout the songs featured in the album. As the colours used seem to be washed down as opposed to visually capturing, the audience would be able to depict the correct connotations such as the mood and tone set. The typography featured on the magazine advert is of a brighter colour; red potentially signifying love which the album may be about. It informs the audience of the artist, album name, most recognisable songs and the release date of the album. As the artist's name is of the largest font, it is most emphasised as the main focus of the advert is on the artist himself. This allows the target market as well as potential fans to recognise or potentially discover the artist. It also informs the audience of vital information regarding the album.

When considering the layout, it is evident that the artist is at the centre of the frame which further highlights his importance; the artist being the main focus. The information regarding the album has been placed in the left corner. It is clear that the artist is highly emphasises by the photo as well as his name. The album title "Songs for You, Truths for Me" is in small lettering yet is still visible. The album title infers the idea of the artist developing his understanding of himself through the album which consists of songs for the audience. The style of language seems to be on a personal level with the audience who are referred to as 'you'. This therefore allows the audience to build a relationship with the artist, the album title providing them with the idea of the artist opening up and revealing parts of his life.

How does the advert promote the music genre?
The advert promotes the music genre as it follows the conventions of the pop genre. Unlike songs of a club nature that consist of vibrant colours or adverts that promote the rock genre and typically display colours such as black, adverts of the pop nature are typically similar to the one analysed. The advert promotes the music genre of James Morrison through the colours and image which would appeal to a mainstream audience. The audience is likely to be already familiar with the songs which are easily recognisable due to being in the UK charts. They will therefore be able to understand the choices made when constructing the album advert. 

How does the advert promote the artist?
James Morrison is promoted by the advert as those who may be unaware of the artist receive an insight into the style of his music. This has been achieved through the use of photoshop that has manipulated the colours of the advert. The costume of the artist also provides the audience with knowledge of the artist's personality. The mise-en-scene being an empty road may also signify the artist being alone in some way which provides further connotations.

How does the advert attract an audience?
The advert mainly attracts the audience through the use of the image used. The female audience are likely to deem the artist as visually appealing. The audience overall can relate to the artist due to his down to earth image.They can get a sense of the artist and his music. Those who are loyal fans of the artist will be naturally attracted to the advert due to their interest. The advert is conventional of the pop genre and so it is likely to appeal to the audience. It meets its purpose of informing the audience of the album and its release date therefore it can be considered to be successful.

The artist 'Plan B' is presented in an unclear way due to him being hidden by a dark shadow. The emphasis is mainly placed upon the conventional advert elements rather than the artist himself. Nevertheless the audience is able to see the artist's costume which consists of a suit and tie connoting a sense of formality which emphasises the artist's style. The microphone and microphone stand is also visible which emphasises the artist's role as a musician and connotes his passion for performance. The artist has been presented through the use of a mid shot allowing the audience to see his costume, iconography and his facial expression which is of a serious tone. The way the advert has been constructed infers a sense of the unknown, the artist is potentially revealing more of himself due to the light being solely focused on him. The artist is presented in an extraordinary way as listed in Richard Dyer's star theory. His image is also somewhat incoherent which ensures that the audience strive to complete the image, possibly by consuming the album to gain a further understanding.
The album advertisement involves few connotations however may infer certain aspects to the audience. The advert being mainly in the colour black has quite dark connotations such as unhappiness, death etc. These connotations are also reinforced by the colour red which connotes danger. However the album cover makes clear to the audience that the colour red is used to connote performance such as the stage seen on the cover. This illustrates the artist's passion for music and the stage which allows the audience to gain information regarding the artist's personality.

The album is displayed on the bottom left corner of the advertisement. This makes it clear to the audience as to what the album looks like. As seen in the album cover, the artist is on a stage which once again is dimmed. The artist is hidden by the black shadow which again reinforces the emotions which may be inferred by the audience. There is a clear link between the advert and album cover as seen by the use of colours as well as the way the artist is presented.

The typography seen on the advertisement consists of the artist name, the name of the album and the quote ' The multi platinum album of the year'. The ratings are used to persuade the audience to purchase the album. The typography is most emphasised due to the boldness and capitalisation of the letters.
The layout of the advertisement also placed emphasis on the text as opposed to the image which is placed on the side. It is however enlarged which makes the artist visible to the audience.

How does the advert promote the music genre?
The advert promotes the music genre by capturing the audience's attention in that it is visually appealing. It's dark tone infers varied possible connotations such as the emotion felt by the artist. It could also infer the artist revealing more about himself which may be the reason why the light is shone on him. The image would appeal to the pop genre as well as potentially a jazz audience due to the stage and microphone which have soul/jazz connotations. As the advert involves ratings, this suggests that the album itself has been released prior to the advertisement. 

How does the advert promote the artist?
Plan B is promoted by the advert as individuals that have an interest in him will also have an interest in his album and the advert. They will therefore be drawn to the artist image.The advert itself promotes the artist in a sophisticated way due to his suit and tie. His passion for music is also illustrated through the use of the stage and microphone acting as iconography. Those that are not aware of the artist may also be encouraged to research the artist due to the darkness of the advert which may even be considered as a deviation from the stereotypical pop genre conventions. 

How does the advert attract an audience?
The audience is attracted due to the colours used in the advert; the background and artist being in black and white whilst the typography also involves the use of colour red which is vivid and holds powerful connotations. The artist is also made to look appealing, specifically for the female audience that will find the artist attractive. The advert will naturally attract fans of the artist who will have an interest in the album. 

By researching into the magazine adverts, I have gained more information regarding conventions of the pop genre and how these may be followed or subverted. I am also aware of the components that go into the formation of an advert such as the album name, songs included in the album, ratings etc. The research conducted will assist me in planning and creating the individual advert which will follow genre conventions. The research has also inspired me to incorporate a black background and dominant iconography. This is likely to appeal to the target audience and in turn be successful in promoting the artist.