My ancillary task - analysis of website, poster and videos

1. Ancillary Task:
Websites and Posters
By Farzeen Somji

2. The Chainsmokers (website)
The use of bold and black lettering allows the font stand out and easily
illustrates the name of the band. In addition, since the font isn’t bubbly and
round, it suggests the song won’t be a pop/hip-hop genre and is thus an
indicator to the audience of what genre ‘The Chainsmokers’ are. The name
of the group also serves a purpose of promoting themselves so as so ensure
that individuals viewing the website are immediately aware for their name
The picture in the background allows visitors of the website to therefore put
a face to this name. This is important because individuals want to know
what the artist is like/how they look.
The website also promotes their latest hit, ‘closer’ on the home page which
most artists tend to do on the home page of their website in order to attract
more people to the song to gain more popularity and in turn, money.
The font used for the majority of the text (excluding the name) is the same.
It’s clear and the size is large to attract individuals to that section
The color scheme is fairly basic – generally quite black and white with a bit of
color. Overall quite simplistic.
There is also use of the social media links in the top right corner. Since most
individuals who listen to this genre of music are also the same demographic
who use social media relatively frequently, this technique is both appropriate
and a clever marketing strategy. This way individuals can post statuses about
the duo’s songs which would advertise their songs to a largely target audience.
By having links to their coming performances, individuals can not only know
where they are performing but also gives fans an easy access to book tickets to
see them live – both benefitting fans and the band. Furthermore the dates and
location is in capital letters, it clear and bold.
.

3. The Chainsmokers
(poster)
Once again, the duo are pictured on
the concert’s poster to attract
individuals to their performance.
The duo’s name: ‘The
Chainsmokers’ is clearly printed on
the poster is bold lettering and is
the same font used on the website.
This creates a visual style as their
name and the font is attributed to
them and recognised as their
band’s identity.
The pink, pastel color scheme
matches their single ‘roses’ which
was released 3 months prior to the
month September (the to duo
would have performed. Thus this
would have probably been
intentional in order to allow
individuals to connect to two –
again links to a sense of visual
style).
Despite being different sizes the
font, once again, is consistent
across the poster. In addition it is
either bold and black or dirty pink
– again to go with the theme of
‘roses’
The date, time and location of the concert is
clearly stated for easy reference and
convenience.
Language used is simple and to the point.
The picture dominates the poster along
with the name ‘The Chainsmokers’ and
then the date, time and location. This is so
that it stands out. Content and extra details
are not necessary as this is merely a way to
promote the duo and ensure that a large
enough target audience is addressed.
Details regarding where the tickets are on
sale at are vital for fans to book tickets to
see them. Font is slightly smaller as it is only
relevant to those who want to know this
information. For those who have never
come across the band before, the name and
the picture are the most important aspects.
No excessive makeup and dressed in a way
which signifies the genre which they
contribute to. This is helpful for the target
audience to decide on first impression
whether or not they like the band. Dark
clothing, leather jackets and gothic makeup
is thus irrelevant since this is not
conventional for the genre of progressive
house, future bass and trap.

4. The Chainsmokers (videos)
When looking at the videos uploaded by the duo, though
music videos are not so common, the style remains constant
(again linking to a consistent visual style). This consists of a
box a significantly opaque with the name of the song and
artist and a simple, pastel design at the focal point or across
the background. It can also be noted that the font across the
vast majority of texts related to this band is the same –
capitals, slightly spaced and with the ‘Avenir Book’ type font.
E.g.
Using Avenir Book

5. Zedd (website)
The top left corner has the artist’s name, ‘Zedd’
printed thick and in capitals and thus stands out
significantly. This is important since Zedd is not
actually shown on the homepage of his website.
Thus, he is acknowledged mostly by the sign, at
least on the website.
There is, again, in the top right corner of the
website links to social media pages in order to
engage fans (as previously stated) as well as
concert dates which allow artists to communicate
with and be with their fans. For many
artists/bands, having a relationship with their fans
is significantly important to them and concerts
and social media are the only two ways to achieve
that connection.
Overall the home page for the website is fairly
simple. The dates are a large enough font size to
see easily and there is not excessive detail of
where exactly each venue is as well as the price
for the tickets until you click on the link.
The banner shown in the screenshot is for Zedd’s
newest single. This is therefore a way of
promoting the artist’s work and as seen previously
(for the previous song) and later, this is highly
conventional for websites.
There seems to be a colorful, graphic style for the banner, which is
similar to what is seen in the poster (on the next slide) and a similar
style to the signature font shown in the top left corner. The color
scheme of the banner, however, contrasts the sharp black artist’s name.
Furthermore, it alternates between 5 different banners, another being
the merchandise. These products are an example of synergy and help to
publicise and promote the brand or artist, in this case Zedd since his
name and recognisable color scheme is printed over it to ensure it is
recognisable by fans and the general public. This is a way of promoting
and publicising his brand image whilst also allowing fans to purchase
these products to show their music taste in public.

6. Zedd
(poster)
The use of Zedd dressed in a leather
jacket and hoodie portrays him in a
fashionable and youthful style. Thus,
individuals who have not come across
the artist can automatically assume
that the target audience is more
younger individuals and thus consider
influence their interest in the artist.
The section in the middle of the
poster which is of a concert/rave also
contributes to this and signifies the
age range, which the artist targets.
The bold and clearly printed name of
the artist is along with the image of
him is, again, dominating the poster.
This, as talked about previously, plays
a vital role in promoting/publicising
the artist and their visual style/image
(Goodwin).
Furthermore, it can be highlighted
that the title and overall color scheme
on the poster maintains a monotone
and simplistic style when comparing
the poster to the website. This
contributes further to the ‘visual style’
often maintained throughout artist’s
work.
The text and language used on the
poster can be addressed once again
as simple. Poster’s are generically
like this and therefore it is
important to follow this convention
by avoiding as much text as
possible.
The color scheme being monotone
with hints of color is seen both on
the website and here on the poster.
Whilst the background picture has
been edited to be black and white,
the hint of color allows the
audience to establish the music
which the artist creates as what
would be heard at a rave. If, for
example, the poster didn’t have this
colorful section in the middle, it
could be interpreted as a multitude
of other genres – r&b/alternative
r&b, pop or potentially even rock.
The date, place and time is also
shown as this information is vital in
attracting an audience but aside
from this, detail on the poster is
kept to a minimum. Simplicity is
what seems to make a more
genuine and ideal poster.

7. It can therefore be concluded that this is a
signature element to the style that the
artist likes to work with possibly to have a
signature/recognisable element allowing
individuals to differentiate between him
and other artists within the same genre.
Zedd (videos)
In two examples of music
video’s by this artist (Clarity –
ft. Foxes and I Want You To
Know – ft. Selena Gomez), a
geometrical and graphical style
of editing is used, similar to the
artist’s website.

8. Nelly (website)
The name of the artist on this website is clear and
in large print quite possibly to promote himself to
those unaware of his music. In addition to the
name, ‘Nelly’ simply being on the page, the fact
that it’s in bold letters and the font size is
considerably large, the audience are reminded of
the name/are made aware of the name and it is
likely to stay in there head as a result.
In addition to this, the artist’s image on the
webpage allows audience members to make a
connection between the name ‘Nelly’ and his
appearance. In terms of his clothing, the artist
consistently sticks to the conventional dressing of
individuals in that genre (R&B) – for example, the
leather jacket and sunglasses.
The website also includes reference to M. O. –
Nelly’s newest album. The purpose of doing this
would most probably be to promote this album
and attempt to gain as much attention from the
public as possible.
The video link which can be seen in the
screenshot is a link to the Vevo video to Nelly’s
newest song featuring Nicki Minaj thus the
partnership in making a song together in itself
would ideally cause an increase in viewers of the
video as well as help the fan base for Nelly
increase. Such collaborations within a particular
genre are fairly common. In addition to this
reference, ‘Get Like Me’ and ‘Heaven’, another
two of Nelly’s songs are also referred to,
potentially to increase popularity over these songs.
The website also includes a link to iTunes whereby the links to the
songs below can be downloaded. This aspect of having access to
purchasing songs from iTunes is relatively popular among the vast
majority of websites for artists of different genres and thus can be
considered conventional.
In addition to this, there are evident links to social media in the top
banner. As previously mentioned, this is beneficial so as to create a
relationship with the artists and his/her fans but also to update the
public on upcoming concerts and events they will be attending.
Artists/bands can post on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc giving
links which can redirect fans to where they can buy tickets to see
them live.

9. Nelly
(poster)
The theme and color scheme used in
this concert poster matches and
correlates with the ‘visual style’ of
Nelly in general. As seen in the
previous slide, the colors tend to be
black and white and there was only a
small amount of yellow. This is almost
replicated in the poster whereby black
and white dominates the color scheme
and the yellow is used as a contrast
against the monotone scheme.
In terms of the text itself, it’s relatively
simple and the poster does not go into
any unnecessary detail. It is as
simplified as it can be without being
vague (as previously mentioned).
The price and where tickets can be
bought is also advertised so as to
interest audience members and redirect
those who are interested to buying
them. This is vital as without this, there
is no clear indication of where official
tickets can be sold. Thus having this
information both on the poster and
official website is vital
I also found the use of emotive
language i.e. ‘$55 only’ interesting since
it encourages viewers and certainly fans
to purchase tickets.
The name of the artist and the image of
him, just as the other posters, dominates
the poster in its entirety. The name is
short and simple and thus easy to
remember but also sharply contrasts to
the background making it stand out and
remain engrained into your memory. The
fact that it’s brightly colored and seen
from far means that it can easily grab
people’s attention that pass by wherever
the poster is plastered.
When considering the artist’s style of
clothing, it can be mentioned that the
wearing of a suit does not match with
the conventional outfits R&B artists are
dressed in. However, this more
sophisticated look may be used to target
a different demographic. Since Nelly is
already significantly popular in the world
or R&B, the audience being addressed
may be older men or alternatively women
who see a more gentlemanly and
sophisticated man in the poster. Having
said this, the fact that his tie is undone,
does contribute to the carefree/laidback
style quite common in the genre.
Finally, the use of both earrings and a
ring adds to the conventional dressing of
R&B artists talked about in the analysis
of music videos.

10. Nelly (videos)
‘Just A Dream’ as analysed previously (in
research into conventions of music videos)
has a black and white effect used. Similarly,
the video for ‘Get Like Me’ also uses this
B&W effect. It is thus quite possible that
since ‘Get Like Me’ was released 3 years
after and ‘Just a Dream’ did significantly
better than Nelly’s other video in terms of
views (as seen in the screenshots) it could
be argued that this B&W theme was
mimicked so that audience members would
associate the two with each aother causing
a larger appeal in the latter. Regardless of
whether this is or isn’t the case, however,
this theme is certainly existant across
Nelly’s work and contributes to his ‘visual
style’.

11. Nelly
(videos)
The Notion of Looking (Goodwin) and what Laura Mulvey refers to as the ‘Male Gaze’, can
be addressed in the music video too. Though this was touched upon when analysing the
conventions of music videos, it can also highlighted that since it constantly occurs in other
music videos and the subject of ‘voyeurism’ is addressed indirectly, it can be noted that this
prominent theme exists across all mediums in a genre like R&B and this must be considered if
and when we use an R&B approach to our own music video.

12. Jon Bellion (website)
The artist, ‘Jon Bellion’ on his website covers the majority
of the page. He is the focal point on the website and thus
would be the first thing that anyone sees when opening
his official website. This is beneficial (as discussed
previously) as it helps to publicise and promote the artist.
Furthermore the simplicity in the photo and overall theme
of the website is personally, very appealing to me. It’s not
too complex, the artist is not posing with a fake smile and
the content isn’t too heavy. The white, black, orange and
coral colors are extremely simple and appeal to me greatly.
Again, there is a wise use of having hyperlinks to the
artist’s social media pages. For this particular artist there
are links to his Facebook, Twitter, Instagram pages and
more and as mentioned previously this has multiple
benefits both for the artist and fans by developing a
relationship between them and communicating
appropriately.
The concert dates, as they are on the other posters and
websites are conventionally, across all genres, simple.
Details are not given until the link is clicked on. Language
is also simply so as to appeal to as large a target audience
as possible.
When looking at the top right corner of the website, one
can see the menu, which is a drop down menu and is
extremely simple. All these small things cause the overall
look of the homepage and the website in general to look
clean-cut and professional as opposed to messy,
disorganised and cluttered.

13. Jon Bellion
(website)
The thumbnail of the video put on Bellion’s page is of
a concert where he’s performed in the past and had
footage taken of him, live. This therefore brings
attention to the fact that he firstly does concerts and
secondly that he has a multitude of fans. The fact that
this is his thumbnail means that individuals that are
new to him may become interested in his music and
become a fan due to seeing what a large fan base he
has and thus trusting his music.
The home page on the website also has access to Jon
Bellion’s merchandise which range from t-shirts to
posters to his albums. As previously covered, this
serves a purpose to promote the brand. An individual
who is a fan of Bellion may buy and wear the t-shirt
and if a friend asks where it’s from, the word can
spread quite fast. Just merchandise is important in
promoting yourself/your band.
In addition to this, the digipak being shown promotes
the album that the artist has just recently released. It
can also be noted that the design on the digipak is a
graphical one of sorts which is a common theme
across all of Bellion’s work. Furthermore, the colors
on the digipak are bright and colorful.

14. Jon Bellion (poster)
The simplicity in the poster is one of the aspects that makes it immediately
attractive to those that pass by it. In addition to this, the color scheme also
contributes to this. The fact that the colors used are sunset-like colors and
are replicated both on the website theme as well as the album cover
signifies that the artist has a ‘visual style’ of sorts. In addition the fact that
its colorful means that it’s eye-catching and can interest individuals in his
music.
The name of the artist is existent on the poster. However, unlike the other
posters, Jon Bellion’s name is not what dominates the poster. In addition to
this, there is no image of the artist on the poster. However, this is due to
the artist’s nature being that he doesn’t want to live a life surrounded by
fame and thus is not sticking to the conventions and expectations which are
generally followed in industry, at times. Having said this, his name is still
there and thus individuals who really do want to know and who would
actually stop and check would have access to this information. It’s just that
individuals who do not care wouldn't’t be bombarded with such
information. Furthermore the information is, again extremely simple and to
the point.
Another aspect which can be addressed is the fact that the poster, just like
the digipak shown on the website has an animated feel to it. This further
contributes to this ‘visual style’ constantly addressed.

15. Jon Bellion (YouTube homepage)
Just as mentioned in the previous
slide, both the poster as well as the
website appreciate the
graphic/animated and cartoon-like
style which is consistent throughout
Bellion’s work. This is, once again,
demonstrated through the music
video shown on the home page of
his YouTube page.
In addition to this video further contributing to this visual style, the same image on the
website is shown in the banner of his YouTube page (an example of synergy) as well as the
digipak and his name is capitals and coral. Thus, all these mediums link in terms of the style
they share and thus compliment each other so as to promote the artist