This questions illustrates how effective my promotional package works for A2 Media Studies.

1. Q2. How effective is the combination of
your main product and ancillary texts?
A2 Media Studies Evaluation

2. Intentions For Promotional Pack
• As I have represented a boy band within the genre
of pop rock, I wanted to communicate a theme of
timeless youthful spirit and to unleash the 'inner
child' within the performers in spite of their
adolescent age.
• Signifiers of the pop rock genre within the pack
include a wide sense of chemistry between the
performers which is a fundamental necessity for a
successful boy band. For example, 'Somebody To
You' by The Vamps features the members
collectively throughout interacting with 'piggybacks',
football and performing. Equally, I have featured my
band 'Matter Of Unity' as team players on the CD
cover and advert to represent them as a working unit
together.

3. On-Screen Titles
For the opening on-screen titles, I
have used the same 'Adventure' font
as the advertisement for the name of
the band. This creates a recognisable
branding logo which the audience will
relate to on future releases. This font is
warped in Photoshop to effectively
suggest that the band are not ruled by
convention and will adopt their own
style.

4. Crumpled Paper Effect
A subtle reflection of Will's dismal career is shown in the textural
design of the digipak. In the office, we see him staring at an
abundance of paperwork. On the promo package, a crumpled paper
effect is visible behind the halftone newsprint. This creates an edgy
rock based feel and suggests that the band have abandoned their
work duties, enhancing the sense of rebellion. McFly's 'Memory
Lane' features a sketch based CD cover with a stained background,
which influenced my design choice.

5. Gestures
The band members are
seen interacting with
informal and popular
gestures among
teenagers e.g. 'fistbump'.
This is used to represent
how the band functional as
a unit. On the
advertisement, the
members are seen
clenching their fist and
staring confidently at the
camera, suggesting a
youthful rock theme.

6. Grid
To best communicate how the band
reunite, I decided to create a 4 x 2
grid composite shot of all the
members. This creates a cross-
cutting effect as each member
receives the same text at the same
point in time. This idea was reused
as an old album cover of the band
shown by Will on his phone inspired
by The Beatles 'Let It Be' cover. The
digipak gatefold replicates this look
with a 4 x 1 retro effect reflecting
each member's personality.
The inspiration to use this
idea was taken from Gary
Numan's 'Cars', featuring
80's electropop unnatural
effects, and from Little Mix's
'Hair', which also features
the group communicating
through cross-cutting.

7. Colour Design
The use of colour within the drama theatre could be altered to
best suit the feel of the performance. I decided to use a
scheme of red and yellow to provide an edgy and dynamic
setting for the band to relive their memories. The Script and
Imagine Dragons feature a similar arrangement. 'Superheroes'
by The Script features lead vocalist Danny
O'Donoghue performing in a crowded space with red low-key
lighting. 'Demons' by Imagine Dragons is also set in a crowded
arena with a purple and blue scheme providing a cold feel.
The red and yellow counteraction is
evident with the bronze background
on the advertisement, while keeping
the same clothing provides synergy
through the bright t-shirts. One
Direction's 'Live While We're Young
also features the band wearing the
same casual clothing as the video.

8. Post-Production Effects
A number of unnatural effects was added to the performance
to uplift the energy and to resemble 80s electropop such as
Duran Duran and Eurythmics. These effects include a halftone
newsprint, stretching performers out of the frame, adding a
glow and increasing the saturation. These enhance the
vividity of the colour scheme boosting the pop genre appeal.
The colour design and halftone effect were reproduced on the
advertisement while featuring the band in the same clothing as
the performance.

9. Genre
I have used a number of signifiers that
tell the audience that the video is related
to the pop rock genre, with electropop
influence. A key element I wanted to
achieve was the chemistry between the
members of the band. This is reflected by
the gestures and eye contact with each
other. Casual clothing is another signifier
used by boy bands.The performing
space with a red and yellow lighting set-
up provided an edgy and dynamic feel for
the genre. The album name is featured in
a larger font than the band name, to
emphasise the release of new material.

10. Iconography
The iconography I have illustrated with my band
is the 'boy band look'. Every member of the band
is represented as an individual with personal
traits: Will is ambitious; Joe is shy; Manuel is
excitable and Alex is the gentleman. The casual
clothing is a common look for a boy band as
seen by The Script. One Direction's album cover
for 'Live While We're Young' sees the performers
interacting informally and with youthful spirit. My
album cover features my performers making eye
contact and featuring a more determined look
while maintaining the spirit.

11. Conclusion
Having followed the conventions of
my chosen genre and linking
elements of the performance and
personalities of my band on the
promotional pack, I believe the
synergy and marketing potential
would be effective for my target
audience with a clear narrative
intention.