Textual Analysis of Magazine Adverts

1. Textualanalysisofmagazineadverts
There are a vast range of ways for an artist to advertise
their albums; a very popular way is using the platform of
magazines to advertise in. This is a good way to get
publication to wider audience. They are usually
conventional and mainly use portrait style images as
they fit the A4 page well. Other conventions include
using the album cover as the image so that the album
and the advert can easily associated together. All of the
information about the album such as the album’s title,
release dates and featured songs are all usually placed
at the bottom of the page. This is so that the image will
gain most of the attention, therefore making it
recognisable to an audience.
The cover image is identical to
the one seen on the magazine
advert. The image used is
interesting and abstract. It uses
one quarter of each band
member’s face, showing the
equality between them. The imagery also includes an
owl which is closely related with the album title as these
are nocturnal creatures and are mostly seen at night.
This could possibly suggest a dark theme throughout
the music.
This advert follows conventions by
placing the information at the
bottom. It reveals a few songs that
are on the album which could entise
an audience if they have previously
heard these popular songs and want
to listen to the rest that the band has
to offer. The words ‘out now’ are
written in red which creates an
urgency. This suggests that people
should rush to buy it as soon as
possible.
The image uses a night vision effect
which again creates a link between
the album name and the effects
used. The text of the album name
itself also uses this light green
colour, making it visually appealing.
The name of the band is placed in
bold white writing at almost acting
as a masthead for the advert,
making it clear who and what the
advert is for as it may be ambiguous
to some otherwise.

2. Again, here the album
cover is the same
image as seen on the
advert so that
consumers can
associate them easily.
The information about the album is placed at the
bottom of the page. It includes the variety of forms
of media that the album can be purchased on
such as vinyl etc and the release date which
builds up anticipation for the album.
The addition of pink flowers on a dark
background suggests that the style of the
music may be alternative yet the flowers add
an element of feminism, showing that it could
incorporate some romanticism, attracting a
more feminine audience. The main image is
identical to the album cover and shows the
lead of the band with a pair of lungs
displayed on her chest which are clearly
placed here to tie directly with the name of
the album. The chest area is highlighted,
emphasising that this is the main focus. The
fact that the imagery links directly to the
album creates good continuity and it flows
well.
The white writing of the font contrasts well with
the dark background. The use of an alternative
font for the band’s name differentiates it from
the rest of the text so that the band name can
stand out which is a good form of promotion.
This font is used across most of their products
and albums, creating a distinguishable
indentity.This also makes the ad look
appealing as it frames the image, making it
seem more unified.
The title of the album has the largest lettering
showing it is the most important feature. The use of
bold white and capitalisation draws the audience’s
attention immediately.
There is a website displayed at the
bottom of the page also which allows
fans more access to the band.
The way the artist is
positioned allows her to
seem elegant and
sophisticated. Her arms are
spread out and the lungs are
revealed showing that she
may be exposed and
vulnerable, relating to the
emotions of the music.She is
not making a direct
connection with the audience
as her eyes are closed,
however this creates a
mysterious atmosphere
causing the audience to be
intrigued.
Florence and the Machine are an
indie rock band and the contrast
between light and dark plays a big
role in portraying the style of music.
This suggests that there will be a
number of positive and negative
themes involved in the music;
possibly love, life or loss.

3. As is seen with
the rest of the
adverts, we can
see that the
cover is the
same as the
magazine ad,
making them
easily relatable.
The band’s name is placed at the top
of the page in bold white lettering
making it easily noticeable to an
audience. The font used is a kind of
logo for the band as it is commonly
used across their albums and
products, creating a recognisable
identity (similar to Florence and the
Machine).
The symbol placed in the middle of
the page is something which is easily
associated with the band and their
artwork. This is used as the main
image on the cover of the album,
again, following the convention of
using the album image for
advertisement elsewhere. The image
portrays soundwaves in a particular
shape, allowing the audience to
create an immediate connection
between the advert and its purpose;
it is clearly promoting music.
The advert also follows the typical
convention of including information
about the album at the bottom. The
release date along with the album name
are presented in the same bold white
font making it noticeable, whilst creating
continuity.
The black and white colour scheme, minimal
layout and minimal content represent how
established the Arctic Monkeys are as a
band. This advert shows that they do not feel
the need to complicate the ad with lots of
images or text to be recognised. The fact that
the band have not complicated the ad is
useful to consumers as they realise what the
message is quickly and it allows the audience
to focus on this rather than other images etc.
The simplicity is very effective as it looks
stylish and sophisticated and also represents
the style of the band, suggesting that they are
laid back and do not conform to the
stereotypical ways of other artists in the
industry.