Sick Q2 for all you media A level students out there x

1. Evaluation
Question 2
Callum King

2. The Brief
• The brief was to make a promotional campaign for our band,
Mumford and Sons, including a video, a digipak and a magazine
advertisement in order to promote the release of an album.

3. Conventions
• We have set out to create a cohesive
band image to promote the album
(Sigh No More) through using common
folk conventions such as:
• Naturalistic imagery such as woodland
and fields and the autumnal colours,
which work to add a vintage and rural
look to our work.
• Acoustic instrumentation such as a
guitar and a banjo, which are both
commonly associated with folk music
help to give it an older, more vintage
feel. The use of more modern, electric
instruments would have given our
production the wrong look or aesthetic.

4. • The use of urban vintage clothing
such as blazers, leather shoes and
flannel shirts is extremely typical of
the folk genre, and helped to
reinforce Mumford and Sons’
metanarrative of not following
modern or mainstream fashion and
having their own style and trends.
• Using camera techniques which are
stylistic of Mumford and Sons videos,
for example a large proportion of
close ups in comparison to other
shots in order to get the emotional
content of the video through to the
viewer. We also used a faster cutting
rate as the songs rhythms and texture
built, which is also shown in the
music video to ‘Lover of the Light’.

5. Where would it be advertised?
• The advertisement was designed to run in
NME magazine as our research showed
that Mumford and Sons had been
advertised in there multiple times. As well
as this NME magazine has a fairly broad
target audience, much like Mumford and
Sons, and they are also very well
established and have a fairly hegemonic
status in the industry, which is perfect for
a high status band like Mumford and
Sons.

6. • We chose to design a
double page spread for
our band, as they are
already a well-
established and high
status band and so it
would be economically
viable for them to pay for
a double page spread.
Many of their adverts
show either front page
ads or double page
spreads which prove this
would be the most
appropriate ad for the
band.

7. How do the print ads link to the video?
• Both texts link to the video through the use of colour grading, which
we were able to keep extremely similar across the three texts. As well
as this we were wearing the same folk-style clothing, and we were in
similar rural and natural locations to reinforce the folk genre.

8. Myth
• It can be said that our piece does not reinforce any myth surrounding
the band. Mumford and Sons represent themselves as very grounded
and actually quite ordinary as people, they do not construct
themselves as stars using Dyer’s Star Image, and instead they rely on
their talent and originality in order to sell records.
• The use of close ups of the lead singer and instruments in our video
does reinforce the star values of creativity, originality and talent,
however they are not represented as being sexually promiscuous or
obsessed with wealth and material goods, as other artists are. For this
reason our production does not conform to the majority of music
videos out there which aim to represent the artist as being youthful,
rebellious and sexually promiscuous.

9. The overcast sky is a typical visual motif of the folk genre. It is rare occurrence in Britain to experience clear, blue
skies, and so the overcast, cloudy sky is relatable to the viewer. From my research it is clear that Mumford and Sons
ads frequently use an overcast sky, and so we are sticking to the style of Mumford and Sons in our print work.
The green, rural landscape is also
a key visual motif of the folk
genre. The reinforces the pastoral
and naturalistic imagery which
surrounds Mumford and Sons and
is a part of their metanarrative.
The use of flannel shirts and blazers,
along with brown leather shoes are a
typical visual motif of the folk genre,
and connote an older time and a
unique style, reinforcing the band’s
metanarrative of being independent
and following their own trends, and
finding their own identity through their
music, which reinforces the star value
of originality.
*The red arrows
and ovals represent
the reading path of
the ad*
The script, serif style font used
for the title of the album makes
the viewer feel as though this
band belong in another time,
and that this handwritten style
of font has come from a vintage
lifestyle from possible medieval
ages.
The reading path of our ad is effective in my opinion. This is due to the fact that our brains naturally read from top to bottom and
from left to right. This means that the first thing to catch a potential consumer’s eye is ‘Mumford and Sons’. This is aided by the
bold, black font, which stands out greatly on the light grey background, drawing the eye. Next the eye naturally wishes to go down
and right, and so the eye is drawn to the album title ‘Sigh No More’, again black on a dark grey background. Next the eye is drawn
to the band, with their breaking of the fourth wall helping to establish an empathetic link between performer and consumer. The
eye contact with the audience also helps to make the band appear present, whereas the ethereal colour grading along with the
sense of unrealism in the image leaves the audience with a sense of absence, constructing the star image and making the band
seem almost more than human. Finally the eye is drawn to ‘Out now on iTunes’ and the rest of the information.
The facial expressions worn by
the members of the band
show a serious and meaningful
outlook on their music, which
helps to bring the folk genre,
which is often overlooked, into
the mainstream. From a marketing perspective, the
green of the colour palette would be
likely to catch someone’s eye, even if it
has been slightly desaturated to give a
vintage effect.

10. • The use of rural locations and a
similar use of colour grading
across all the panels of the digipak
gives it a clear cohesive aesthetic
and a professional style.
• This also links to the other two
promotional materials as they also
have a similar aesthetic, and the
folk connotations are evident
across all three. This helps to form
a cohesive band image, and gives
Mumford and Sons a recognisable
brand.
• The link between the front and
the back panels helps to create
fluidity across the digipak, as they
are the same image from different
perspectives.
• This also conforms to Dyer’s
present/ absent paradox, which
works to create an incoherence
that would influence the audience
into purchasing the album.

11. The typography is the same as that used on
the magazine advertisement, creating a link
between the two. As well as this the serif
font gives the album a vintage and dated
feel, which is a common theme across all
our work and Mumford and Sons’ existing
promotional material, helping to give the
band a brand, and it is also a common
convention of the folk genre.
The reading path begins at the top of the
album cover as the human brain naturally
reads from left to right and top to bottom,
as well as this the black, emboldened font
of ‘SIGH NO MORE’ really stands out in
contrast to the white background. The
viewer’s eye is then drawn down to the
lead singer, which is important as it helps
to build the band’s image and
metanarrative. Finally the eye is drawn to
the Mumford and Sons logo, which helps
give the band an identity.
The overcast sky, greenery and the same serious,
introspective facial expression worn by the lead singer
helps to create a cohesive aesthetic between the
advert and the digipak.
The lead singer is present, however the
fact that he is staring past the camera
gives him a sense of absence as the
fourth wall is not broken, this conforms
with Dyer’s paradox
The Mumford and Son’s logo is present on the front of
the digipak which would be recognisable to the target
audience and creates a link between the digipak and
the magazine ad.
Strong iconography of the folk
genre with the colour grading
and the costume of the lead
singer which are very
conventional.
The signifier of the cross is
extremely relevant as many of
Mumford and Sons’ songs have
religious references, even the
title of our song ‘Timshel’ is a
Hebrew word.
The ordinary/ extraordinary
paradox is also present in our
digipak. In this image the lead
singer is portrayed as fairly
ordinary, wearing ordinary
clothes in an ordinary location,
however the rest of the digipak
displays the band with their
instruments, reinforcing the star
quality of talent. This
incoherence makes the product
more enticing for the customer.

12. We were inspired by Mumford
and Sons’ previous digipaks
which meant that our digipak
was of a similar style and had a
cohesive aesthetic with their
previous promotional material.
As well as this the font for the
track is in a bold serif font,
meaning it is consistent with
the other panels and the
magazine advert.
The framing of the image with the
artist in the right third adds to the
sense of solitude and loneliness in
the image, it appears as though there
should be someone sitting next to
him and creates a moody and self-
reflective tone which is prominent
throughout the album.

13. • Here the band are depicted holding acoustic
instruments (guitar and banjo) which is
recognisable iconography of the folk genre
and helps to build the band’s metanarrative.
• As well as this their relaxed body language
connotes a laid back attitude, which is not
only conventional of the folk genre, but also
very relevant to a lot of their music.
• Again the acoustic guitar is key
iconography of the folk genre,
however on top of this, the CD
will be seated on the sound hole
of the guitar, and since they have
the same circular shape this will
provide a sense of neatness and
professionalism.
• The members of the band are all
present, which is highly
conventional for a digipak
design, and pleasing for the
consumers.