The document provides an analysis of media texts created to promote the album "Sigh No More" by the band Mumford and Sons. It summarizes the key conventions used across a music video, advertisement, and digipak design. These include rural locations, vintage costumes, and consistent aesthetics and imagery to create a cohesive folk image. Elements like direct address and incomplete narratives in the video also aim to intrigue audiences according to theories of star presence and absence. Overall, the analysis shows how the media texts work together to construct Mumford and Sons' public image and promote their album through conventional folk symbols and marketing strategies.

1. Evaluation – Question 2
Hannah Bennett

2. Brief
• The brief was to create a promotional campaign for our artist,
Mumford and Sons, which consisted of three media texts. This
included a music video, digipak and advert.
• We set out to create a cohesive band image to promote the
album ‘Sigh No More’ by using typical folk conventions and
creating a consistent style.

3. Conventions
• The rural location, consisting of woodland and greenery which
helped to create a vintage aesthetic by the autumn colours and
surroundings. This ensured continuity throughout the three texts
in terms of location and made the indie folk genre more evident to
audiences

4. Conventions
• The urban vintage costume, including blazers, flannel shirts and
jackets. This conforms to the indie folk genre and helps
contribute to the bands metanarrative as it holds connotations
of being more dated showing that the band are rather
sophisticated and do not necessarily conform to Dyer’s star
values such as rebellion and youthfulness.

5. Conventions
• The presence of the band is crucial for creating a cohesive
image throughout the main product and ancillary texts as this
conforms to one of Dyers paradoxes and is the most important
way to gain them exposure and allow the audience insight into
their metanarrative. Dyer states that an artist should be
simultaneously present and absent which is achieved
throughout these texts.

6. Conventions
• For example, within the music video there is use of first person
mode of address, breaking the 4th wall which causes the
audience to relate to them and the artist to therefore appear as
present. However, due to their talent, the fact they’re behind a
screen and the narrative line of action that the lead singer also
appears in there is also an absence.

7. Conventions
• Myth - While the band conform to Dyer’s common star values of
talent and originality I would not say that they conform to any
typical myths which are associated with stardom.
• The band are largely presented as being rather rooted and do
not appear very eccentric and rebellious which would probably
be seen as the main myth created by the media that many
artists are subsequently endowed with.
• This demonstrates how the metanarrative the video and print
work are helping to construct can be seen to challenge aspects
conventional star image.

8. Advertisement
• The advertisement was designed to run in NME magazine as
when we researched the band this was where they had
previously appeared and the indie folk genre is often present in
this magazine meaning our target audience would take interest
and would be less likely to ignore the advert when flipping
through.
• We chose to design a double page spread advertisement as the
band are already well established and would be able to afford
this.

9. The reading path starts with the
band name as it's the biggest font
size and bold against a light
background causing it to stand out.
The path then continues down to
the album title, the band and finally
the call to action.
There is use of serif font which
connotes a vintage style, contributing
to the bands metanarrative. The
typography is also the same as that
used in the digipak creating a coherent
aesthetic across the subsidiary media.
The colour of the font is black in order
to make it stand our above the other
components of the image.
Within the photo of the band
you are first drawn to the lead
singer on the left third as he is
positioned slightly in front of the
other members making him
appear closer to the audience.
There is use of extra diegetic gaze to break the 4th wall which
causes the band to appear present, however the misty
atmosphere and incompletion of their metanarrative also
causes them to appear absent conforming to Dyers paradox.
This incoherence persuades the audience to purchase the
album to complete their metanarrative.
The use of first person mode
of address is also a form of
hard selling as the audience
enjoy having some insight
into the band’s
metanarrative.
The text which is positioned at the
bottom of the page is white rather
than black so that in can be seen
of the darker background.
This also makes the call to
action clear to the audience
which is a crucial aspect for
persuading the audience to
purchase the product which
is the overall purpose of the
subsidiary media.
The urban vintage fashion is
maintained within the advert
(also present in the video and
digipak) to create a cohesive
image and connote the indie
folk genre, giving the audience
further insight into the bands
metanarrative.
The colour grade of this
image is the same to that of
the digipak and video,
furthering the link between
all the texts. This is a use of
visual motif as the vintage
aesthetic is recognisable as
belonging to this particular
band.
There is a very minimal amount of white space in the advert in order
to keep the image interesting and maintain audience engagement as
the main purpose of this is to encourage the target audience to
purchase the main product. Although, it also serves to promoted a
publicise the band in general.

10. There is a clear cohesive aesthetic across
all the digipak frames which creates a
professional appearance. This is largely
achieved by the location remaining very
rural in all of the panels and also the use
of colour grading is consistent
throughout.
This also links to both of the other texts
through the presence of the band as they
would be the most recognisable aspect to
any fans and it would be pleasing for the
target audience to see them and have
insight into their metanarrative from this.
The fluidity across the panels is
strengthened by the link between the
front panel and the back panel being the
same image from different views.
Furthermore, this conforms to Dyer’s
present/absent paradox creating an
incoherence the consumer would have to
purchase the album to complete.

11. There is iconography of the indie folk genre
present due to the colour grade of the
image and outfit of the lead singer as these
both hold connotations of the genre.
There is the Mumford and Sons logo
present on the front panel of the
digipak which would be recognisable
to the target audience and creates a
link between this and the
advertisement.
The typography is that same as
that on the advert, creating a link
between the two. Moreover, serif
font connotes an old fashioned
and dated feel which is
significant to this genre of music.
The reading path begins with the
album title as this is positioned at
the top of the panel in block
capitals and a bold font. This means
the first thing the audience will
notice and be drawn into is the
album name, aiding promotion of
the product. The framing of the
image means the consumer is then
drawn to the lead singer positioned
on the left third, as he takes up
most of the frame. This would be
pleasing to fans of the band as it
gives further insight into the
metanarrative. Finally the audience
will see the Mumford and Sons logo
so they are aware of who the artist
of the album is which should then
encourage them to pick the item
up.
Although the singers face is present he is staring past the
camera which means the 4th wall remains intact and there is an
absence created further reinforcing Dyer’s paradox.
Signifier of the cross is relevant to the
album title as the rebirth of Jesus can
highlight the main theme of the album,
a new beginning ‘sigh no more’.
Dyer’s ordinary/extraordinary
paradox is also conformed to. While
the lead singer is dressed in rather
normal clothing and is by himself
looking quite ordinary, the rest of the
digipak shows him and the rest of the
band as talented artists so they also
appear as extraordinary. This
incoherence will persuade the
audience to buy the album in order to
complete the star image.

12. The inspiration for the layout of the track
list was taken prom previous Mumford
and Sons album. Although it is
unconventional of most CDs this
demonstrates how it conforms to the
indie folk genre.
Moreover, the font of the track list is in bock
capitals to make it clear and easy to read. It
is also a serif font demonstrating a consistent
aesthetic throughout the whole digipak and
all the separate texts.
Barcode on back which is vital to any CD, only takes
up a small section and does not take focus away
from the image as it is positioned in the corner of
the frame.
The composition of the image is
reflective of both the genre of
music and theme of the album.
Since he is not positioned in the
centre third but instead on one of
the side thirds causes the
consumer to give attention to the
fact he is alone more than they
would if he took up all of the
centre. This creates a more moody
atmosphere which links in with the
theme of the album that a new
beginning is needed.

13. All of the band members are
present which proved to be
conventional when looking at
other digipaks as this is
pleasing to fans of the band.
The relaxed body language
of the band connotes a laid
back atmosphere which is
reflective of the style of
music .
Iconography of the indie folk
genre; the band are holding
instruments which are
typically associated with the
genre such as banjo and
acoustic guitar which helps to
further construct their
metanarrative.
The centre panel the disc would be
positioned on has the sound hole for
an acoustic guitar which maintains the
iconography of the genre and is also
fitting at the disc is the same circular
shape creating a professional and
clean appearance.