The document discusses the common elements found in digipak advertisements for magazines. It notes that they typically feature an image of the artist, image of the album cover with quotes about the artist's success, indications of the musical genre, and basic information about the album. They also usually include the artist's website and social media links. The document then analyzes specific examples of digipak advertisements for artists James Morrison, Bob Dylan, and Frank Sinatra, noting how the designs are tailored to each artist's image and style while still including standard information.

1. Digipak Research

2. Several elements stand out for their repeated use across the majority of
digipak magazine advertisements:
- Image of artist - main image, using star image concept
- Image of album cover with quotes declaring artist success/status suchas “#1
Smash Hit!”
-The musical genre is indicated through the choice of iconography, font,
imagery and colour the advert utilises, serving as a reflection of star image by
playing on the artist's existing associations and connotations
-There is also a wealth of basic information contained in the digipak advert.
Album titles, select tracks, release date, critic quotes/star that will parallel both
the artist's star image and the album's style and details concerning the release
format (CD,Vinyl, Digital download) along with publication points such as
availability and retailers logos.
- Finally, electronic information such the artist's web address and any potential
social media links will be featured.

3. The layout of this particular advert
is conventional and is replete with
the usual suite of information.The
artist’s name is featured
prominently on the key image of
the artist himself, the album title is
also displayed, as is the album’s
release date with the additional
piece of advertising for the single
the album features, making a point
of its inclusion. At the very base of
the image, there are addresses for
James Morrison’s website and
social networking accounts to
provide additional publicity.
However, there is an absence of
other content such as critics’
praise, institutional information
such as the record label or even
something such as listed retailers,
other release format or bonus
features accompanying the digipak
release. This is evidently a more
minimalist approach to the
magazine advert that subverts the
traditional expectations while still
adhering to them enough to
provide effective promotion.
This style plays into the representation of the
artist, using the sparse design to reflect
Morrison’s star image, hence himself being
the key image to directly play into his
existing fan base using his prominence in
material such as this. Additionally, the
composition and mise-en-scene all reinforce
this image.The colour palette is washed out
and limited to earthy colours such as browns
contrasted with whites, to create a slightly
nostalgic image with connotations of the
past, where artists focused on the craft of
music as opposed to the modern idea of
celebrity.This image is common for
Morrison’s style of performance (he is a Soul
singer-songwriter), playing into the
iconography of Greenwich village to appeal
to his fans who are familiar with how he is
portrayed.The use of a medium long shot
allows him to take prominence while still
retaining a sense of intimacy as though the
audience is catching him unawares, his
smaller size in the frame speaking to his
desire to not fall into the label of celebrity,
emphasising a certain humble quality
brought about through his rugged,
unassuming clothing and the apparent
realism of the setting.

4. Examining other promotional materials
reveals that Morrison’s image has a high
degree of synergy with this chosen example.
In all of them, he retains that minimalist
style with him at the forefront to reinforce
his star image, always portrayed in an
intimate, sensitive fashion, his expressions
usually connoting intellect and his clothing
and settings conveying a certain down-to-
earth quality that makes him empathetic and
relatable to the audience.Other common
features include a repeated typography and
bleached colour palette that appears hand-
crafted, natural and fits his rustic aesthetic.
There is a defined style to his material that
refers back to the musicians of the past
where music was the focus.This element is
emphasised by the lack of institutional
information or other release information or
appraisal, showing him to be apparently
unconcerned with commercial success,
something that undoubtedly endears him to
his audience who have grown familiar with
his image and respect his artistically-inclined
focus.

5. Despite the parallels between the
musical style and star image of the
two artists, this is a far more
conventional example of digipak
marketing. Dylan is pushed to the
forefront in a key image taken
directly from the Mono Recordings
record cover, appealing to both the
classic image of Bob Dylan (and the
connotations that arise from the
idea of the artist at that time in his
career) and the audience’s sense of
familiarity and nostalgia for that era
of Dylan.Additionally, all the typical
information is provided concerning
the album’s release, including the
release date, content, a link to his
website, the logo of the record label
responsible for its release (Sony
Music) and the HMV logo that shows
a deal between Sony and the retailer
for this type of linked marketing.The
loglines below the prominently
featured name of Dylan use highly
emotive and affectionate language
that positions him as “a legend”,
tapping into the
audience’s connection to him and to place
him in history, again appealing to the classic
idea of Dylan during his 1960s heyday by
utilising iconography such as his unkempt
dark hair and cigarette.The selection of the
key image reflects this intertextuality as
does the choice of colour and font with the
contrast of a bold, simple typography against
the blue and black palette having been used
in promotional material for Dylan
previously, most notably his Shadows in the
Dark album and more modern releases such
as his Essential collection have retained this
signature element of his star image,
meaning this very deliberate throwback is in
compete synergy with Dylan’s previous work
and image.The prominence of these
elements, generated by their size and
placement, projects this fact to the audience
almost overbearingly, referencing nothing
from Dylan’s less successful subsequent
efforts in a bid to tap into the memory of the
artist as opposed to his current place in the
industry.

6. The main thrust of this marketing material is
clearly to play on a sense of nostalgia and
affection for classic Dylan and this is readily
apparent when you compare it other examples,
showing obvious parallels between them,
chosen specifically for Dylan’s image as a
notable singer-songwriter and musical artist,
recognised by history and his legions of fans. As
you can see, the typography, colour palette
and the composition/mise-en-scene of the
images all have a distinct commonality
between them.The images are usual held in
close ups or (at the most extreme) a medium
shot, with Dylan’s expression a key focal point,
again, engendering the feeling of intimacy that
his singer-songwriter/folk music is noted for.
The images appear spontaneous to convey
that connection between subject and viewer
and, in the analysed image, he is directly
engaging the audience with his expression,
drawing them in further.The monochrome
used throughout speaks to this element’s
connotations of the past and of the unrefined
yet high quality of the music of the time, as well
as granting the newer releases a sense of
texture that gives them an authenticity
pleasing to fans.

7. This digipak, in similar fashion to
the Bob Dylan, uses the legacy
of the artist to promote this new
release.Though slightly aged, it
still adheres to the conventions
of the format, prominently
displaying Sinatra’s name and
the album title in a bold font
across the banner, using a key
image of the legend himself,
affected to appear worn and
aged, evoking a sense of
nostalgia for his status and
career that plays directly into
the wants and memories of the
fans.The medium shot of
Sinatra captures his expression
in a moment of repose,
appearing to be contemplating
or reflecting which puts a certain
melancholy on the image,
especially considering his
advanced age, creating a rose-
tinted idea of the past.The
colour design reflects this too,
since the faded yellow gives the
package the authenticity of a
preserved collector’s item.The
information provided is the
standard suite of details,
encompassing the release date,
the exclusive content that
traditionally comes with a digipak
release, the institutional
information concerning the
record labels and producers
involved as well as a web link
below the release date, all of which
are presented over a key image of
the artist, clearly trading on his
star image using certain
iconographic traits such as the
black/white suit and cigarette as
well as his inherent recognisability.
This veneer of authenticity is the
most appealing trait for the
audience, tapping into their
existing affection for Sinatra and
the persona he projects, shown in
the abundance of proudly
advertised new content, showing
an awareness of the many other
releases his music has seen,
endeavouring customers to make
likely the latest in a string of
purchases of the same material.

8. The main point of synergy between this and other examples
of Sinatra’s promotional material, is the consistent use of
himself as the major draw, owing to his vast popularity and
the connotations that his public image possesses, namely,
love songs, Vegas and the style of “Crooning”, that genre of
music that his voice had a unique sense for, showing an
awareness of the Grain of Voice idea and taking that aboard
when generating his star image. This release also continues
the trend of giving Sinatra’s image a sense of authenticity,
shown in the previous releases through the use of both
apparently handwritten fonts and images of Sinatra that
appear spontaneous and make him seem incredibly
engaging and personable, continued in the examined
example through the aforementioned colour design and the
intimate nature of the image (close-ups., medium shots are
also a commonality between many other advertisements).
Where this release inverts the conventions that Sinatra’s
image has generated, is in how the artist is presented.
Instead of using an image that shows him smiling or
otherwise engaging the audience directly through a
measure of eye contact, here, Sinatra is looking down in
though, appearing more introverted. This change in
portrayal reinforces the idea of this release commemorating
the legacy of Sinatra as opposed to continuing his career,
again playing to his existing audience through their
attachment to that legacy. Here, he is less of an artist and
more of a human presence, creating the idea of getting
under his skin without the idea of celebrity distancing him
from the audience. This continues the apparent theme of
authenticity that remains consistent throughout these
releases.