This document analyzes and summarizes the designs of three different band's Digipaks: The Rolling Stones, My Chemical Romance, and The Gorillaz. For each band, key elements of the Digipak design are discussed such as imagery, colors, fonts, and how they relate to conveying the band's image and genre of music. Overall, the document examines how Digipak designs can represent a band's brand and attract audiences through visual elements that connect to their musical styles and personas.

1. DIGIPAK
Analysis

2. DEFINITION AND BENEFITS
• A Digipak is a special edition C.D case. It is made of cardboard and folded into 2-6
sections containing information on the band, lyrics and songs.
• Digipaks benefit the Artists as they represent the bands image and advertises
they’re brand. It gives the artists a chance to reach out to their audience and fans
and give them something extra to keep them interested and advertise new ideas
and products. It can also be a way to entice more people and maybe attract a
larger audience.

3. The Main image is a common design for The Rolling
Stones. The tongue represents Mick Jaggers sensuous
lips and the bands rebellious attitude. It is one of the
most recognizable symbols for rock which The Rolling
Stones had designed for them and have used it as
their logo since the 1970s . With the lips as part of the
main image you can instantly deduct the band and
genre. The image is unique designed to grab your
attention but also as conformation of what you were
looking for. The gorilla suggests the typical rock genre
because The rolling stones are associated with the
tongue it confirms it. The image of the gorilla suggests
menace. The Text is the same handwritten type font
that The Rolling Stones have used through out all their
past Albums, Adverts, Posters etc. The type font and
the Lips image together have become a kind of
brand for The Rolling Stones making it easy to identify
their products.
THE ROLLING STONES
It is a simple design through the Digipak. It give little information and has no images other than the front
cover. The image on the front cover could suggest menace and promiscuity as such an image can be
associated with phrases such as ‘monkeying around’ also the tongue can be interpreted as sexual and
the gorillas features are not unkind drawing in the idea of sex, menace and enticement. The only other
significant images are those in the booklet. The Rolling Stones Digipak is a simple design that gives away
little information before the booklet. The booklet has all the information you would expect to find such as
old tours, lyrics, past band experiences and lots of images. The images however are from the past when
they were young and attractive keeping up their image and brand as any recent photos may discourage
their audience as they have aged and lost the looks and persona of the ‘Rock and Roll’ band.
The brand and colour
scheme are the same
throughout the Digipak. On
the Booklet is the same font
and colour scheme as on
the front cover. The black
and white are simple
colours designed not to
attract attention, whereas
the red contrasts the black
and white and stand out
among it. Also the colour
red often stands for lust,
passion and danger. These
are things commonly used
to describe ‘Rock n Roll’
Stereotypically this genre is
associated with ‘sex, drugs
and Rock n Roll’ The colour
red screams danger and
sex and the black suggests
a dark side ‘Rock n Roll.

4. My Chemical Romance is a rock band. This is clearly
shown on the front cover of their greatest hits
Digipak. The main image is of the band in an
important positioning. Typically of most genres the
lead singer is placed at the front and the rest of the
band follows this portrays the importance of the lead
singer. The Black and white image stands out against
the red and gold. The red splashes could be
interpreted as blood. Rock was originally associated
with the Devil, hell, and evil. This is portrayed clearly
through the main image which makes the band look
dead associating them with death, and evil. As red
is the colour of the devil and the image is being
portrayed as dark and evil the association of blood is
clearly revealed. The Gold writing is in a kind of
scratched and untidy font often used by My
Chemical Romance. This is an indication of Rock as
it looks like it could be graffiti scratched onto a
surface which can menacing and ambiguous.
MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE
Throughout the Digipak there
is a house style. The type face
is carried on to the C.D its self
and the gold on red splashes
is the main text. The pictures
behind the C.D and the
others within the Digipak are
all the same kind of style as
that of the front cover. The
colours are carried through
the Digipak. The red on the
black, white and dull gold
are rather dark and dull
creating a gloomy and
melancholy persona of the
band and album.
The design is not unlike The Rolling Stones Digipak. It has more detail in the images but the colours and images can be read in the
same way. Although they are black and white, against the red they stand out. They band are also looking directly into the camera
and towards the audience appealing to the audience’s want to be included. There is no booklet here all the information is on the
Digipak as well as other images. All the images seem to be in black and white with the same sort of positioning and make up this
keeps up the dark persona and also reinforces the idea of the importance of the lead singer. The lead singer is usually used to draw
in the audience using their looks. This is an idea that can be portrayed through this album. There are images of other albums
throughout the Digipak. This is a way advertise their past albums and encourage their fans to buy them. On the album photos you
can see the same kind of house style. Using dark and surreal images and colours, and the same kind of type face through some of
them. It continues to symbolise The rock genre with the different designs but similar ideas and house style.

5. The Gorillaz can be placed in a number of different genres
such as alternative rock, alternative hip-hop, and indie rock.
They were a musical and visual project that soon became
popular and escalated to stardom. The Gorillaz have used
animations designed by Jamie Hewlet. These are fictional
characters that represent each band member. The animations
are well known and often associated with The Gorillaz. The
positioning of the band portrays my earlier points about the
lead singer as once again he is positioned at the front with the
rest of the band behind. This portrays his importance and
leadership. The album design completely stands out. The
bright colours and the crazy images drags the attention of any
passer by. The animations are a kind of brand so for their fans
the front cover instantly shows what artist and for those who
may not recognise The Gorillaz will defiantly be enticed by the
albums images and design.
THE GORILLAZ
The only other images used throughout the Digipak are the bands animations. They are on all the
sides and the C.D, and on one side their slogan ‘respect false icons’. The Digipak contains
information on the history of the band and some of their achievements. It also has pictures of their
past albums again I believe to attract their audience into purchasing them. The Gorillaz are
considered to be a number of genres and their designs and layout are difficult to place into one
specific genre. The text could e considered rock, where as the bright colour and loud images can
be considered indie or hip-hop. They cannot be put into a context but are rather quite unique and
portray this not just through their songs but also their products.
The Gorillaz often use
the same text through
their albums and
videos. The scribbly
hand written type font
looks like it could be a
signature. The Gorillaz
do not have much of a
house style. There is
little if not any
evidence of a colour
scheme. There is a lot
of white space and
some red but other
than that The Gorillaz
seem to use their
animations and type
font as the only way to
identify them.