This document analyzes existing album poster designs to inform the creation of a new poster. It examines posters for albums by Haim, Katy Perry, Gotye, Marina and the Diamonds, and Professor Green. Key conventions identified include prominently displaying the artist's name, including the album title, and noting release date. Features like images of the artist, praise from music publications, and popular song listings are also discussed. Breaking conventions like omitting the artist image or not clarifying what is being promoted are analyzed.

1. ALBUM
POSTERANCILLARY TEXT:

2.  T h e p u r p o s e o f a n a l b u m h a v i n g a p o s t e r i s t o
p r o m o t e t h e a l b u m t h e a r t i s t i s s e l l i n g . A s a s t a r t i n g
p o i n t I l o o k e d a t e x i s t i n g s u c c e s s f u l p r o d u c t s . T h i s
i s a p o s t e r b y H a i m f o r t h e i r d e b u t a l b u m .
 T h e p r o m o t i o n a l p o s t e r f e a t u r e s t h e b a n d s l o g o a t
t h e t o p , w h i c h i s t h e a r t i s t s n a m e ‘ H A I M ’ , t h i s i s
u s e d a c r o s s m a n y o f t h e i r m e d i a f o r m s , ( p r e v i o u s
s i n g l e s ) . T h e p o s t e r a l s o i n c l u d e s a n i m a g e o f t h e
b a n d w h i c h i s i n t h e s a m e s t y l e o f t h e i r p r e v i o u s
s i n g l e r e l e a s e s . T h i s k e e p s t h e b a n d s i m a g e
c o n s i s t e n t t h r o u g h o u t t h e i r r e l e a s e s . B y u s i n g t h e
s a m e s t y l e a s t h e s i n g l e s f o r t h e a l b u m i t k e e p s t h e
p a c k a g e c o h e r e n t . B u y e r s o f t h e s i n g l e w i l l a l s o b e
a b l e t o r e c o g n i s e t h e i m a g e s s i m i l a r i t i e s a n d i t m a y
c a t c h t h e i r a t t e n t i o n m o r e e a s i l y .
 B e l o w i s t h e t i t l e o f t h e a l b u m w h i c h i s a k e y f e a t u r e
a c r o s s p r o m o t i o n a l p o s t e r s b e c a u s e t h e y w a n t t h e
a u d i e n c e t o b e a b l e t o r e c o g n i s e t h e n a m e o f t h e i r
a l b u m i n t h e s h o p . I t a l s o i n c l u d e s t h e w o r d ‘ D e b u t ’
w h i c h s u g g e s t s i t i s a m u c h a n t i c i p a t e d r e l e a s e .
 T h e p o s t e r a l s o i n c l u d e s a c o m m e n t p r a i s i n g t h e
a l b u m f r o m N M E . I t d o e s n o t o n l y p r a i s e t h e a l b u m
b u t s a y s t h a t H a i m a r e a r o c k b a n d . F o r t h e b a n d
t h i s i s u s e f u l t o r e a c h i n g o u t t o n e w l i s t e n e r s
b e c a u s e i t g i v e s t h e m a n i d e a a b o u t t h e i r g e n r e o f
m u s i c t h e r e f o r e t h e a u d i e n c e w i l l h a v e a c l e a r e r
i d e a a b o u t i f t h e y w i l l l i k e t h e b a n d s m u s i c b a s e d o n
t h e g e n r e . A l s o b y h a v i n g a c o m m e n t b y a h i g h
p r o f i l e m u s i c m a g a z i n e l i k e N M E , t h e a u d i e n c e w i l l
a l s o b e a b l e t o r e c o g n i s e t h e g e n r e o f N M E t h e r e f o r e
m i g h t b e a w a r e o f t h e k i n d o f m u s i c N M E r e v i e w s .
T h e a u d i e n c e a l s o m a y f e e l l i k e t h e y c a n t r u s t N M E
t o g i v e a g e n u i n e r e v i e w a s t h e y f r e q u e n t l y r e v i e w
a l b u m s , a r t i s t s a n d s o n g s u n d e r t h e s a m e g e n r e .
EXISTING PRODUCT
Name of artist, bold
Easy to see
Picture of the band
Name of the
album,
Smaller than the
artists name
Information about the album
Rating and words
From NME
Record label

3.  This album poster is for Katy Perry’s album ‘Teenage Dream’
 The poster sticks to the conventions of using the artists
name, title of the album and the date released.
 Katy Perry’s name is in the font which has been used across
many of her other media products therefore is easily
recognised by fans or people who have previously seen some
of her media products.
 The album name is directly underneath her name which
makes it easy for the audience to presume this is the album
title. The white colour used also stands out against the
background.
 The main picture is Katy Perry, the colours used are very
vibrant, a reflection of the genre pop, using many different
contrasting colours together. Katy is in her purple wig which
is a iconic symbol associated with her which the audience
will recognise from her music videos in which she wears
various coloured hair.
 It also includes key information about what the poster is
selling, (The New Album) much like the Haim poster which
said ‘Debut Album’ this one also tells the audience exactly
what the poster is promoting.
 Underneath it lists the biggest hits from the album ‘Teenage
Dream & California Gurls’ when the audience see this they
can recognise the popular songs which they may have heard
on the radio or on social media therefore it might entice
them to buy the album if they know some of the tracks on it.
 Below this we have ‘August 24’ which is vital to let the
audience when the album becomes available for purchase.
 In the bottom right corner Katy also has links to her website
which is useful for fans wanting further information on her
albums or her as an artist.
 http://loretomedia -b1-11-group4.blogspot.co.uk/
EXISTING PRODUCT

4.  Much like the others the artist name is clear on the
poster, in bright white against the black. Being the
biggest text on the page it catches the eye after the
audience may look at the bigger image.
 Gotye has used his outline in the picture which inside is
an abstract pattern. This is cleverly used as he is still
promoting himself but at the same time the audience can
see the resemblance of the pattern and with the style he
used in the music video ‘Somebody I Used To Know’.
 The album name is next to his name therefore after
reading the artists name they will read the title of the
album.
 Underneath there is writing which explains that his new
album is coming out on the 19th. Like the others this is
vital to make the audience aware of what the poster is
promoting for example a music artist could be promoting
a concert, tour, album, single, new fragrance, music
video. Therefore letting the audience know what exactly it
is helps them in the promotion.
 Like the Katy Perry album it also gives information about
the hits which are included in the album. Directly plugging
its own songs in the promotion.
 Gotye also has a website link below which people could
search for more information.
EXISTING PRODUCT

5. EXISTING PRODUCT
 This is an album cover for Marina and the
Diamonds, The Family Jewels album. It
closely follows the conventions reflected in
the other posters by having an image of the
artist & the artists name is the largest part
of the poster & the album name closely
follows after.
 Unlike the others she is also promoting her
single Shampain underneath, this includes
the album cover and the name. It also says
underneath where the audience can buy it
from ‘Out Now On Itunes’ this is useful as it
informs the audience of not only the album
release but plugs the single.
 It does mention singles which are included in
the album which is useful as people will
recognise these too.
 Her website is also listed below which again
promotes the artist and gives the audience
more information to follow up on.

6.  Professor Green’s album promotional poster is a lot
more simplistic than the others, firstly it does not
include a main image of the artist which is in general
breaking conventions. However it is still a well put
together poster. It has his name at the top in a white
box which is the first thing which catches your eye.
Underneath is a list of all the tracks which is also
breaking conventions because normally a promotional
poster promotes only the hit tracks.
 It also continues to break conventions by having the
album name in small text at the bottom ‘At Your
Inconvenience’ whereas in most posters the album title
is slightly smaller or equal to the size of the artists
name. However the balance of the simple background
and writing means it still works as a promotional poster
as there is not much distraction. However I think for my
own I will consider making the text of the album name
larger.
 It follows the convention of also saying the date of the
album release. However it also breaks the convention of
telling the audience what it is they are promoting,
which leaves it to the audience to work out that it is an
album. Although it does list all the track names which
some audience members may like as they could
recognise song names and be encouraged to buy it
through this.
EXISTING PRODUCT