The document discusses the album artwork and promotion of various albums, including: - J. Cole's "Born Sinner" album artwork which fits the title and represents Cole as the "King of Rap". - Rihanna's "Loud" album which prominently features her image and a red color scheme to represent her brand and being "loud". - Drake's "Nothing Was the Same" uses blue tones to represent his emotional depth and growth in contrast to his past work. - Childish Gambino's "Because the Internet" breaks conventions by not including the artist or album name and using retro, calming imagery.

1. A2 Media Studies –
Ancillary Task Research
Brandon Holder

2. J. Cole – Born Sinner The back of the Born Sinner album is simple but
effective in being informative and representing the
artist. The font and colours correspond with the
black/white/gold colour scheme with the front
cover of the album, and the crown logo is repeated
from the cover also. There are two sections to the
back of the album; Standard and Deluxe. The songs
that are included in the Standard version of the
album are indicated at the top of the back, and
lower down the Deluxe tracks are highlighted I like
that the back of the album is simple and sticks to
just showing the track names and artists that
feature on the track itself. It doesn't show a lot
about the album itself and leaves the rest as a
surprise therefore prompting the customer to buy
the album and find out, it also keeps the back in
order.
The cover of J. Cole's Album, Born Sinner fits really well with
the title, because sinning is an act that is frowned upon in
religion, and perceived to be carried out by bad people.
Sinners are then connected with the devil which explains the
horns coming from the boys head. This also highlights the
fact it is a young child, possibly the artist’s younger self. The
crown above the figurines head could be a hidden message,
saying that J. Cole is the King of Rap, which is a common
statement amongst rappers today. They mostly rap about a
"crown" and them having it, indicating they believe they are
the King of Rap and that they hold the "Crown of Rap".
J. Cole is an American hip-hop
recording artist, and it is often
conventional of this genre to
feature controversial album art. The
cover is of a evil-looking figurine
with a golden crown hovering over
its head.
The name of the album is ‘Born
Sinner’ which links to the album’s
main image of cover, as it is a
baby with devil horns, implying
that he was never born perfect,
and has learnt from his mistakes
in music, which are the sins.
The cover art suggests that J. Cole’s life isn’t
perfect and that he was born into unfortunate
circumstances and makes mistakes and sins like
everyone else but the golden crown implies that
he knows that despite all this, he is destined for
greatness. With the theme, the contrast of colours
could suggest how Cole battles good and evil.
The figurine is outside of the
golden box on the front cover,
suggesting that what the artist
brings to ‘the rap game’ is
outside of the box and is fresh
in this competitive industry.
Logo associated with the
artist so fans recognise
who the album is by.
Album artwork that links
to back cover with a
matching colour scheme,
highlighting continuity.
The disc artwork is also simple, corresponding
with the simplistic look of the album art. The
disc looks as if it has grey smudges on a white
background, again linking to the theme of
sinning and impurities.

3. J. Cole – Born Sinner(Poster) The background shows feathers from what
looks like wings, this suggests that this
album/tour is about the artists growth as wings
have connotations of evolution and flight
however it still stays true to the impure theme
as the wings are dark and the image has had a
grainy type effect added to it.
Unlike most artists, J. Cole offers tickets to his
tour ‘Dollar & Dream’ for $1 dollar with the hope
of making more accessible to everyone,
especially those who grew up in similar
circumstances to him. This key element of the
poster is highlighted in gold text, continuing on
with the same font/colours from the album cover.
This stresses the importance of continuity as the
audience can infer that songs from this album will
be played on this tour.
A conventional element of the poster is the
name of the tour clearly printed on the front
of the poster and is the same hand drawn
type font style previously used on the album
artwork(crown). This creates a brand identity
for the artists as the font looks hand written,
suggesting authenticity in his work and now
the audience can associate this style with the
artist.
The black/white/gold contrasted colour scheme
matches their album ‘Born Sinner’ which was
released a few months prior to the
announcement of the annual Dollar & A Dream
Tour. This was most likely done to build
anticipation for the tour but also to help appeal
to and solidify a particular target demographic
as this was only J. Cole’s second studio album.
The location, date and time of the tour dates is
clearly shown in plain white font to contrast
the black background. As well as information
for fans on where to purchase tickets, which is
another element that is conventional across all
genres. The layout is also clear and organised
so that if this is the first time people are seeing
this poster, the key information is visible and it
is straightforward.
The front of the album cover is pictured on the tour
post which is significant so that the audience know
that songs from this album will feature on the tour.
The colour of the album contrasts with the poster,
making it stand out and easily visible to fans of the
artists music. This aspect is also especially significant
as the name of the artist only features in a small
underwhelming font so this helps people to be able
to recognise the artist. The colour scheme could also
be conventional of the genre as hip-hop/rap artist
tend to make music about hardships they have faced
and these colours do well to signify this.

4. Synergy between the products
Similar, yet contrasting
colour scheme.
Front cover of
album is used
on the poster
for promotion.
Same colour gold used
on album art and the
font on the poster.
The text displayed on the
poster to indicate the tour
dates is the same as the
font used for the track list.
Same grainy, white washed
effect used for the tour
posters main title and the CD
disk art.

5. Rihanna - Loud
The close up shot of Rihanna establishes that the
artist is all about promoting her brand/star image as
she covers the whole cover. This is further
emphasised by the bold, eye catching colour of red.
The lips are especially significant as they are a
feature that have become heavily associated with
iconic women, which suggest that this artist is
intending to reach those same heights.
The use of bold bright colours are also used
on the cover as it compliments the album
title ‘Loud’ and is appropriate as these
colours are often associated with being loud,
memorable and iconic.
The inside cover follows the rose colour scheme as it also
matches the CD, highlighting the products continuity The
album covers is linked to the artist, highlighting her beauty as
the symbol of the album is roses and they have connotations
of beauty. This is a common convention technique for albums
to promote an artist in a way that they want to be seen and
create a brand image.
The barcode is conventional of album
back covers. In addition the back cover
also follow the red theme with a tinted
pink which compliments the rest of the
CD/the front cover. For continuity with the
typography, it matches the title on the
cover, ‘Loud’.
The album also has a photo of Rihanna from one of the
music videos that songs features on the album so that that
the buyer is able to see the link and that the music from
this video features on the album.
The CDs itself are roses opening, again linking to the artists
brand image. The colour pink is used of roses to help it
stand out, yet still match the colour scheme.
Throughout the album digipak the
artist wears bold red lipstick to
match her hair and the theme of
roses and again this compliments
the album title 'Loud' as red can be
described as a loud colour. The back
of the digipak’s colour scheme
follows on as the typography
suggests femininity and the
transparent pink makes sure that
the digipak follows a 'fairy tale' like
theme previously seen with the use
of flowers and princess like dresses.
The inside cover and the booklet
that accompanies the CD, allows
the buyer to have an exclusive
insight into the world of Rihanna.
Track list
Name of the album
Extra information
about, rights, the
record label, the artist
and the album

6. Rihanna – Loud(Poster) The name of the artist is also clearly shown
promoting her brand/star image.
The use of the red hair makes the album
Cover striking however the use of the
softening Effects used on the image make it
appear Less harsher. This is comparison with
the pale pink Rose placed on her finger
suggests that there may be A light hearted
feel to the music on the CD. Involving the
Theme of love.
Throughout the album poster, the colour red is
shown to be the theme which matches the
colour scheme of the album(continuity). The
colour red could connote love and or danger.
Red is known as a promiscuous colour, as when
worn or shown, it normally shown sexualised.
The main image of Rihanna, suggests that the
artist will explore deep emotions on the album
as her facial expression is neutral She is shown
to be looking down, which suggests she is sad
or disappointed. This could link to the genre of
songs that will feature on the the album, and
her feelings.
The album poster includes the main features
of an album poster by following particular
codes and conventions. These features
include, artist's name, album name, release
date, album cover etc. This is to inform the
audience of the key information of the
upcoming release of the album. The font
throughout the whole poster matches the
album cover with its use of the colour
red(continuity). The typography used for the
poster are all capitals, this is due to capital
letters standing out more and catching the
attention of the audience. The letters of both
the artist and album name are both spread out
to fit the width of the poster. This could
connotes that the album will be as successful
as the artist as Rihanna is famous and well
respected artist who is best known for her hit
songs.
In the album poster, the album cover can be seen in
the bottom right corner. This is because having the
image displayed like this, promotes the upcoming
release of the album, creating anticipation and
attracting an audience. Another feature that would
attract audiences to buy the cd is the artist's well
known songs being quoted on the poster, informing
the audience these well known songs are some that
will feature on the album, helping to promote the
album.

7. Synergy between the products
Front cover of album
is used on the poster
for promotion.
The text displayed on the
poster is the same as the font
used for the album title,
emphasising continuity.
The artist is in full view
as the main image of
both the promo poster
and the album art.
Same colour rose, used on the
disc and the poster, suggesting
that Rihanna is the rose(delicate,
beautiful but also with thorns)
The text displayed on the poster to
indicate the songs included on the album
is the same as the font used for the track
list.
Same
saturation/war
mth of the
colours used in
the pink/red
colours for a
matching
colour scheme.

8. Drake – Nothing was the same
The colour of the front colour is a baby blue
which could represent the artists child like
nature but the darker blue used for the
back cover could reprent Drake’s emotional
growth and depth in both the music
industry and in life. This is further
emphasised by the fact that Drake is known
for his soft melody and emotional lyrics and
the colour scheme matches this perception
of his music by an audience,
On the front of the album is a painting of
a child staring into the distance with a
background of the sky. This suggests that
the child could represent Drake and how
he’s looking back to his childhood to see
the man he has become.
An element that is
unconventional of album front
covers is title of the album along
with the artist being placed in the
corner of the cover. It also isn’t
made to be bold and doesn’t
stand out. This could represent
idea that the artist has realised
that fame is not everything that it
was made out to be so and that
music should be more important.
The artwork cover may be more
aimed to attract the attention of
people interested in the unique
album art rather than the artists
well known name.
The ‘Parental Advisory’
sticker: the industry
regulates itself. This gives
a warning to whoever
buys this digipak that
there may be language
and content that could
cause offense.
Artists of this genre are
known for their glamourised
depiction of gangs, money
and sex and an overall
negative image for young
people to follow and also
sets up stereotypes of black
culture however this album
doesn’t adhere to these
stereotypes as Drakes
album(and songs that
feature) contrasts this.
The background of the album covers art almost looks dream like
and could suggest that the album opens up on the artists’ thoughts
as the artist could be attempting to encourage the audience to be
true to yourself and keep pushing forward for your dreams.
The artists brand logo is presented on the back
of the album, the logo represents ‘OVO’ used
to indicate that this is one which stands for
Octobers Very Own which is of Drakes works.
This is the list of songs that are
included in the album in chronological
order. This is a key convention of music
albums.

9. Drake – Nothing was the same(Poster)
Artist Name
Album Name
Release
informationAlbum content
Drake’s promo poster shows two
images. The two images show
Drake as a young child which
contrasts with an image of in the
present facing his younger self. This
could suggest the artists feeling of
progression in both the music
industry and how they have
developed in life. The simple
composition is very effective as the
public immediately recognises the
artist therefore it allows him to
promote his album with his star
image and brand recognition.
The composition of this poster is
very effective as it allows the
audience for direct comparison of
the younger and older version of
the artist.
The typography of this poster is
continuous across the digipak and
the simple white font colour
contrasts with the background
allowing it to stand out to the
audience and inform them of key
information.
Both the promotional poster, and
the album art/digipak use the
same art to make the products
recognisable and are able to
associate it with the artist,
promoting the album.
It is conventional for artists of this genre to
want to be the main image of their promo
posters as it helps solidify brand/star image.
This poster shows the main artist in full focus
against a very simplistic composition making
the painted image stand out. Drake is making
himself the centre of the album/poster and the
focal point for people when they first view the
album/poster art.
In contrast to other promo posters for albums I have
researched, this poster has a horizontal orientation. This does
not follow the typical conventions of a music promo poster as
promotional posters for albums usually appear vertically in
order to allow for the flow of information from the top to the
bottom of the poster. On the other hand the features which
appear in the poster do partially follow the typical layout as the
artist name, album name appear on top of the images in order
to state who the poster promotes.
A key conventional element used
in this promo poster is the use of
the album arts main image on the
promo poster to promote the
album.
The various elements of the promo
poster have contrasting colours to
separate them from each other and
allow the audience view them both
separately and as a collective and
this also allows for a clearer format.

10. Synergy between the products
Front cover of album is used
on the poster for promotion.
Same sky-type colour scheme used on
the disc and the poster.
The text displayed on the poster to indicate
the songs included on the album is the
same as the font used for the track list.
The artist is in full view as the main image of both
the promo poster and the album art.
The text displayed on the poster is the same as the
font used for the album title, emphasising
continuity.

11. Childish Gambino – Because the internet
The artist, Childish Gambino, doesn’t
feature his own name or the name of the
album. This is unconventional of music
albums. The albums name is ‘Because
The Internet’ and this could be because
the artist is commenting on how today’s
society revolves around the internet and
staying connected so Gambino is going
back to when all you had was good sound
to listen to. This is further emphasised by
the vinyl style records and retro colour
scheme of the album.
The image on the front cover of
the album is counter-typical of
the genre as it is calming as
warm colours are used,
opposed to conventional
rap/hip hop albums where the
artists are portrayed as wealthy
or successful through the
overcoming of hardships. It
could be argued that this album
cover would be more
associated with more relaxing
genres of music such as jazz.
The colour scheme is consistent
all the way throughout the
digipak. This album cover could
represent the artist stating a
new era of rap with its
consistent contrasting elements
when compared with
conventional rap albums which
all more or less follow the same
codes and conventions.
The main image is a close up of Donald
looking directly into the camera, this direct
eye contact allows for a connection from him
to his audience as they will feel he’s directly
looking at them, this helps him create a
bond with his audience even though he is
not direct in contact with them, because
they will feel like the album is just for them
as there is this non-direct direct form of
contact.
The colour scheme of a fading gradient of
pink/purple and brown, are consistent throughout
the digipak as the colours match lights colours of
his shirt however the colours of his shirt are
contrasting just enough so that the artist still stand
out and does not just fade into the background.
The album cover adheres to the retro theme with the
holographic that goes from a blurry Childish Gambino to a
clear one. This could appeal to Gambino older target
demographic and again contrasts with the album name.
However it could also be that as the artist is well
known, they are relying on their brand recognition
and star image as a means for people to identify the
album

12. Childish Gambino – Because the internet
With the use of warm, bright colours. The
album cover is given a relaxed element. The
colours used are reminiscent of the sun set
which links to the idea of a paradise island,
this feeling correlates with the graphic print
of palm trees on Donald's shirt, the palm
trees represent paradise and a relaxing
environment. His relaxed posture in the
album image and the somewhat lack of
direction in his eyes could represent a type
of realisation. He could be trying to imply to
his audience, that his music is calm and
rewarding.
The promo poster features the album cover as
the main image which is not usually done by
artists of this genre however within other
genres, this technique is common. This
conventional for the albums promo poster to
feature the album as it promotes the album
and informs the audience of what songs will
feature on the album without the actual
mentioning of them.
The various elements of the promo poster
have contrasting colours to separate them
from each other and allow the audience
view them both separately and as a
collective and this also allows for a clearer
format
The typography of this poster is continuous within
the poster and the simple white font colour
contrasts with the background allowing it to stand
out to the audience and inform them of key
information, however it is also very limited in its
information about the album to the audience.
Both the promotional poster, and the album
art/digipak use the same art to make the products
recognisable and are able to associate it with the
artist, promoting the album.
It is conventional for artists of this
genre to want to be the main image of
their promo posters as it helps solidify
brand/star image. This poster shows
the main artist in full focus against a
very simplistic composition making the
painted image stand out. Drake is
making himself the centre of the
album/poster and the focal point for
people when they first view the
album/poster art.
Social media links so that the
audience can connect to the
artist. Could also link to the
album name.

13. Synergy between the products
The text displayed on the poster
matches the colour scheme for the
album, emphasising continuity.
The artist is in full view as the main
image of both the promo poster
and the album art.
Same retro-type colour scheme used
on the disc and the poster.
Front cover of album is used on the
poster for promotion.
Font for the poster is plain yet bold
and stands out. There is also the
conventional ‘Available Now’
element.

14. Beyoncé - 4
The colour and size of the
name make the title very
dominant on the page to show
the importance of the artists
presence in this album.
Conventionally, the artist is the main image of the album cover. Beyonce is shown to look exposed through
the use of this mid shot, possibly suggesting that she has nothing to hide and is planning on revealing her
true self on this album which further hints that this album may have an important sentimental value to the
artist. The image is positioned at the centre of the cover and covers the name of the artist but is still
identifiable due to the artists brand recognition.
The colour scheme of the cover is predominantly
black and beige. It is simple but also signifies that
this album is the real Beyonce and perhaps lacks
record label influence on her sound and image
and she will reflect this on the songs in the
album. Whilst the baby green and skin nude
show a sense of calmness and vulnerability, the
black on the other hand mixed with the make up
on the artist creates a feel of strength and
independence in the album.
The title of the Album is
in the bottom corner
and is isolated from the
cover suggesting that
the artists music is so
extraordinary that could
stand alone
In terms of continuity within the
album, the font of the track list is the
same as the one used for the title of
the album. The tracks also stand out
due to their placement and use of
typography.
The typography is shown in a bold
black to ensure that they stand out
and are eye-catching to the audience.
The back cover shows the artist looking
over a balcony which could suggest
that she has achieved what she set out
achieve in both the music industry and
in life and is now in her prime and will
not set new goals/aim for new heights
for herself. The long shot of Beyonce
shows in a model type light and she is
also wearing minimal clothing which
could signify that the album will be a
revealing portrayal of the artists
creating anticipation for fans of the
album and new consumers.
A conventional element of music albums
is the barcode, record label and
production company.
Recognition of who the
artist worked with in the
creation of her album and
music videos.

15. This album poster follows the codes and
conventions.
The name of the album is on its own suggesting it’s
on its own level of importance and standing alone
shows it has a separate valuing to the image and
name of artist. Name itself: the number 4 is
apparently of great importance to Beyoncé as that
is her lucky number and all the important dates in
her life link in with the number, so for her to name
the album 4 shows that this album is created as a
reminiscing tool to her greatest years and shows
she is now at her happiest.
The split/divide of the two images, gives us two
different sides of Beyoncé, suggesting that the
theory of voyeurism can be applied here as the
audience can enjoy the juxtaposed images/covers.
This adds a sense of fun and danger to Beyoncé's
star image, making it appealing for the audience
and fans. The album poster also has the artists
name in a big bold font, suggesting that the artist’s
name is more important than the album title as
Beyoncé is known by millions of people all of the
world- so her name would catch our attention
quicker than an album title.
It could also be argued that the promo poster also
follows Goodwin’s theory of the record label having
an influence on an artists representation and
portrayal to an audience.
What stands out the most is Beyoncé herself.
She is using a strong sharp pose to reflect she is
a strong individual woman. This attracts not
only a male audience but a female audience as
well because they may aspire to be like her.
Beyoncé is all in black and white whereas the
back ground is a sepia colour. This is presents
Beyoncé more than the actual name of the
album. Her name is in an attractive bold font
which draws the audience in and tells them the
iconic Beyoncé has a new single out. The singles
name is in a littler font as that seems to be not
irrelevant but more insignificant than the artist
herself.
The poster focuses on Beyoncé and her star
image rather than her name because this is
already iconic/recognisable through brand
recognition. Unconventionally, there is no
mention of when the single is out.
Beyoncé – 4(Poster)
Name of the album will be identifiable
by Beyoncé fans, creating anticipation
for the albums release

16. Synergy between the productsThe text displayed on the poster matches the
colour scheme for the album, emphasising
continuity.
The text displayed on the poster to indicate the songs
included on the album is the same as the font used
for the track list.
Front cover of album is used
on the poster for promotion.
The artist is in full
view as the main
image of both the
promo poster and
the album art.
The disc is red and contrasts
the colour scheme of the
poster and album art which
is used effectively to make
the disc stand out.