Analysing Digipaks and Promotional Packages

I analysed the digipak for The Script in order to gain an understanding of how they use conventions to create a distinctive and unique look which reinforces the establishment of the artist and what they represent. I will also conduct some further research into exisiting digipaks by both bands and solo artists. Also, I thought it would be useful to analyse a promotion package used by artists as a way of promoting themselves and analysed the promotion package for Rihanna to see how she does this.

The Script:

This is the digipak for The Script's new album 'Science and Faith'. The front cover shows a picture of the band, with a medium close-up being used for the lead singer and a medium long-shot for the other two members in the background. This serves to convey that more emphasis should be on the singer, as he is the lead vocalist within the group and thus the main feature of the album as the audience will be able to recognise him. All members of the band are wearing black which is a dominant colour on the cover, as it creates a contrast to the natural landscape in the background, which is of a gold, sand-like colour.  This not only creates a sense of authenticity, but it also gives a pleasant warmth to the album. In the top right hand corner is the name of the band which is in a large white font and quite bold to stand out. Their same iconic font is used which shows how they've stuck to a house-style and it also means that the audience will be able to identify with them easily as it will be one of the first things to attract their attention. Underneath their name is the album title, which is also in a white font but more spaced out which once again gives more emphasis to the band's name. Both the band name and album title are in smaller fonts compared to the image of the band which shows that the band, just like any other artist, are the main feature of the album and are therefore what will appeal most to the audience.

The back cover on the other hand, has a different image as it does not include one of the band, but of the palm of two people's hands touching. This close-up of the image suggests that it should be of prominence because it represents the genre of The Script, whose songs are often about romance, love and heartbreak. The image reinforces this as it shows a connection between the two people's hands. The hand we can see the most is of a male, which furthermore suggests that the other hand could be of a female reinforcing the love aspect. The track list is placed in the top right hand corner and the songs are in black and a very small font, with the song title on the left followed by the song number on the right. On the bottom right, there is the record label and copyright information which creates a parallel to the track list and thus creates a coherent layout for the audience. A barcode is also used on the bottom left to show authenticity and professionalism, which is followed by the record label logo. This is a similar feature I am going to consider using for my digipak. The background of the cover is also of a cream-like colour which keeps the album neutral and henceforth keeps the emphasis on the image of the two hands. This is specifically done to reinforce The Script and their genre of music. The image on the right, in the 3rd tray is once again of the two hands, but this time they are holding one another as if in a pact. This shows a connection and strongly reinforces what the songs signify, which is love and romance. The actual CD disc itself is in black and yellow/gold which keeps to the house-style and shows consistency. Overall, the layout is kept quite simple and coherent with strong powerful images which dominate the digipak in order to give a sense of warmth and love.

Rihanna (promo package):

What is a promo package?

The whole point of a promo pack is to get your music heard and to define yourself as an established artist. Having an informative and professional pack can be what distinguishes you from other artists,whether they are in a band or solo. It should also reflect you as an artist and portray your personality. This is important because it will be what gets you recognised in the music industry and will be what engages the audience. A promotional package can consist of elements such as a digipak, posters and a teaser (promo) video/advertisement.

Digipak:

This is Rihanna's digipak for her new album 'LOUD'. It is a six-fold digipak and contains 2 discs. One particular feature that attracted me to this digipak was the use of the colour red, which dominates the whole digipak and therefore creates a house-style. Rihanna's hair colour coincides with the floral theme she uses, as represented by the roses which are usually associated with the colour red. A strong colour being used is productive because it is one of the main conventions which appeals to the audience. The front cover shows a close-up of Rihanna's face which suggests that she is the main feature of the album. The image is what dominates the front cover and is quite strong, however she has her eyes closed which creates a sense of vulnerability. Her red hair and red lips also create a sense of love, as red connotes passion but on the other hand it can be quite seductive too. Although the album is called 'LOUD', a contrast is created because Rihanna's name and her album title are in a white font and aren't bold either, which shows how they create a soft aspect of the album and maybe Rihanna herself.  The two discs also have an image of a rose on them which shows how Rihanna has stuck to a consistent theme. Although they are not red, they still compliment the floral theme. Rihanna's name is in a smaller font compared to the album title, as the album is called 'LOUD' and therefore by the album title being of this size, this exemplifies that. The image inside of Rihanna lying down in a bed of roses is spread over 3 pages which shows how 1 image can be used and still have a big significance.

Posters:

These are the posters used in Rihanna's promotional package. As you can see, she has kept to the house style of the colour red, roses and used the same font for her texts. This creates cohesion and this means that she can easily be recognised and identified with by both professionals and the audience. On her second poster she has the iconic use of the letter 'R' which has been used on a previous album and therefore creates identification with her because of her brand.

Promotional video:

This is Rihanna's promotional video for her album 'LOUD'. She has clips from her one of her latest videos 'Only Girl in the World' which itself has the red and pink theme with flowers. It highly anticipates the release of the album especially since Rihanna has already released two hit songs which are 'Only Girl in the World' and 'What's My Name' that are featured on the album.  This video is like the third installment of the promotional package and builds up exhilaration for the audience who can't wait for the album to be released. This is because the audience can see that Rihanna is sporting a new look and therefore would be excited to see what else new Rihanna is releasing including her songs and the material she has on her new long awaited album.