The document analyzes conventions used in magazine advertisements for music albums. It finds that ads typically feature the album cover, information on release formats and singles, and the artist/label websites. They also often sexualize the artist to target male audiences. Reviews are included to make the album seem desirable. Keeping colors and fonts consistent with the album art maintains brand recognition. Placement near the end of articles increases visibility. These conventions will inform the design of an advertisement for a fictional album.

1. Analysis Of Existing
CD Adverts

2. What is advertising?
 A form of communication intended to persuade an
audience (viewers, readers or listeners) to purchase or
take some action upon products, ideals, or services.
 These messages are viewed via various forms of media.
 Music artists use advertising in the same way and for the
same reasons.

3. Why do magazines use
advertising?
 Magazines use advertising for funding
and generally the more adverts in a
magazine the more reliant it is on this
backing and continual production. Some
of the less major magazines for
example “The Jazz Rag” have very little
funding, only a few pages printed in
colour and therefore far more space in
the magazine devoted to adverts.
 On average 50-80% of magazine
funding is done by advertising.
Advertising in magazines, as well as all
other forms of traditional media, is on
the decrease. This is mainly due to the
rise in online advertising which is
becoming increasing popular with the
rise in usage of the internet.

4.  I next looked at a selection
of present magazine adverts
for new albums that have
been recently released by
artists.
 By doing this I believe that I
have found key forms and
conventions within my
chosen genre that I can use
effectively with my own print
task.

5. This magazine advert states clearly what it is advertising; a CD,
download, limited edition CD/DVD release, Vinyl and Picture Disc.
This shows a very common convention of albums being released in a
wide variety of forms and across different media. This is shown by
the words “The album out now” then a list of the different versions
The layout for the advert is very simple, black background with band
name and release at the top, with the album cover shown. Showing a
photo of the album cover is a vital convention of advertisements as it
makes it easy for someone who has seen the advert to recognise the
product in shops or online.
The only other information given is the band and labels website
addresses, record label logo and small print and some small print
with the producer and photographer mentioned. By doing this people
who like this band may look at the record label and find other bands
or artists that also relate to this genre.
The effect created by having all simple font in relatively small letters
white on black emphasises the text, despite being small it stands out
by being bright in comparison to the rest of the advert. This is
amplified by the lack of activity in the photograph, this will make the
audience want to read the text to explain the scene.
The font used is that used in the band’s logo. This has been done to
push the already established logo into the advert and make it more
recognisable to fans.

6. Gwen Stefani – Love. Angel. Music.
Baby
• The advert is a whole page of ‘Glamour’ magazine. The advert was placed near
the middle of the entire magazine, at the end of one of the main articles.
• This is a good idea because when the reader has finished reading the story they
would turn over the page and immediately see the advert.
• The advert is a close up of the artist on the cover of the album. The image has
been photoshopped to look like a watercolour painting making it more entropic
than the actual digipak cover therefore more interesting to the audience.
• An image of the album is also featured on the advert. The font and colour
schemes used are the same that are used on the album cover, keeping with the
house theme.
• The advert also tells you what singles are featured in the album and that the
album is in stores now. There is also a logo of the record label that she is with
and the web address of the artist connoting that the audience can view or
engage with the artist on a variety of different medias.
• The artist is also sexualised, fitting in with Laura Mulvey’s theory of the media
portraying women only for the male gaze. Yet the fact that she is on a throne
and holding a crown connotes that she is in control and has lots of power over
people.
• The artist is also looking straight at the camera which connotes a more personal
feel to the album and may make the audience feel that they know her on a more
personal level.

7. House Style
Sexualised
Female
Crown – connotes
power and
dominance?
Small picture of
CD cover
Music label logo, star web address, songs included, date released
Watercolour effect –
entropic and more
interesting for
audience
Artist name, name of
album in big letters

8. • The advert was half a page in ‘The Sun’ newspaper.
• This is a good idea because when the reader has finished reading
the story above, their eyes would immediately look downwards and
see the advert.
• An image of the album is also featured on the advert. The font and
colour schemes used are the same that are used on the album cover,
keeping with the house theme.
• The advert also tells you what singles are featured in the album and
that the album is in stores now. There is also a logo of the record
label that she is with and the web address of the artist connoting that
the audience can view or engage with the artist on a variety of
different medias.
• The artist is also sexualised, fitting in with Laura Mulvey’s theory of
the media portraying women only for the male gaze.
• The artist is also looking straight at the camera which connotes a
more personal feel to the album and may make the audience feel that
they know her on a more personal level.
• Fairly plain advert so draws attention to the artist.
Marina and the Diamonds – The Family
Jewels

9. Name of artist
and CD name
in biggest font
Image of the star taking up
most of the page – sexualised
Website of
the artist
Simple colour scheme – white,
black and a pink/purple colour –
links with colours of CD cover
Picture of CD front cover on the
advert – relates to the picture and
text on the advert
Details at the bottom of the page such
as when it’s released, quotes about the
CD etc.

10. •The advert was half a page in the magazine ‘Star’.
•This is a good idea because when the reader has finished
reading the story above, their eyes would immediately look
downwards and see the advert.
• An image of the album is also featured on the advert. The
font and colour schemes used are the same that are used on
the album cover, keeping with the house theme.
•The advert also tells you what singles are featured in the
album and that the album is in stores now. There is also a
logo of the record label that she is with and the web address
of the artist connoting that the audience can view or engage
with the artist on a variety of different medias.
•The reviews that also fill up the other half of the advert show
all of the praise for the album, making it seem desirable to
the audience and making them want to own a copy.
•Fairly plain advert so draws attention to the artist.
La Roux – La Roux

11. Simple colour scheme – black, red
and white– links with colours of CD
cover
Name of artist and CD
name in biggest font
Details at
the
bottom of
the page
such as
when it’s
released
Reviews that
may engage the
audience to buy
the album
Image of
the star
taking
up most
of the
page

12. • An image of the album is also featured on the advert. The
font and colour schemes used are the same that are used on
the album cover, keeping with the house theme.
•The advert also tells you what singles are featured in the
album and that the album is in stores now. There is also a
logo of the record label that she is with and the web address
of the artist connoting that the audience can view or engage
with the artist on a variety of different medias.
•The artist is also sexualised, fitting in with Laura Mulvey’s
theory of the media portraying women only for the male
gaze.
•The artist is also looking straight at the camera which
connotes a more personal feel to the album and may make
the audience feel that they know her on a more personal
level.
•Fairly plain advert so draws attention to the artist.
Miranda Lambert - Kerosone

13. Name of artist
and CD name
in biggest font
Image of the star taking up
most of the page – sexualised
Website of
the artist
Simple colour scheme – brown,
white and red – links with colours of
CD cover
Picture of CD front cover
on the advert – relates to
the picture and text on the
advertDetails at the bottom of the page such
as when it’s released, quotes about the
CD etc.

14. From this research I have discovered key conventions that I will use for my CD
advert;
• An image of the album will be featured on the advert. The font and colour
schemes used will be the same that are used on the album cover, keeping
with the house theme.
• The advert will tell the audience what singles are featured in the album and
that the album is in stores now. There will also be a logo of the record label
that she is with and the web address of the artist connoting that the
audience can view or engage with the artist on a variety of different medias.
• The artist will only be mildly sexualised, making it more entropic than usual
pop CD adverts and digipaks.
• The artist is also looking straight at the camera which connotes a more
personal feel to the album and may make the audience feel that they know
her on a more personal level.
• Fairly plain advert so draws attention to the artist.
• The advert was half a page in the magazine ‘Glamour’ and in other major
newspapers or magazines.
• Finally there will also be some reviews that show all of the praise for the
album, making it seem desirable to the audience and making them want to
own a copy.