Magazine Advertisements

1. Magazine Advertisement
Analysis
by Steph Tobin

2. The main text on the advertisement is the first
thing the audience focuses on, on the page. It’s
not necessarily the biggest thing on the page, but
due to the unique font, which is the font the
band uses with all their logos, it captures all the
attention of the audience.
The image is of a barrage balloon, also known as
a blimp. These were large balloons with metal
cables attached that were used to defend against
attacks from other aircrafts by damaging the
aircraft on collision with the cables. This is an
unusual image to have as the only image on the
advertisement until the name of the band’s new
album is realised.
The album name, ‘Invaders Must Die’ is written in
a different font to the main text, but sill similar in
the way that it’s a graffiti like font. The way it5’s
placed in the centre of the image, on the only
image, brings attention to it. This is important
because it’s an important piece of information
and what the entire page is actually advertising.
The colour red connotes danger, which is a
suitable colour because the album name includes
the words ‘invaders’ and ‘die’. These two words
are quite alarming, which is shown through the
red/amber colour scheme in not only this text,
but the entire page. The bottom of the page has
an overlay of a red/orange colour which spreads
the colour scheme throughout the whole page.
The dusty white background connotes purity
which contrasts with the war bomb that
overpowers the page. This is important
because it makes everything else on the page
stand out as the colours contrast so much.
This font is the same as the main text font,
so it follows the theme of the age, whilst
easily explaining what the advertisement is
for. The use of the arrows suggests that
either the album is going somewhere, as
they show direction, or it could just be a
design to have the whole page connected
(as the album title has the arrows too).
Either way, they suit the jagged font and so
it’s successful in advertising the new
album. Also, they suit the genre of The
Prodigy, which is metalcore, as the arrows
are just an extra detail which makes the
page even more grunge.
These quotes are a common code of
magazine advertisements because they give
support and credibility to the album and the
band. The colour scheme also follows the
scheme of the rest of the page – white, red
and black. The slant the text is at also is
parallel to the red overlay at the bottom of
the page, and the rest of the text on the page,
including the main text. This makes it look
natural and the page is altogether
aesthetically pleasing.

3. This cartoon background could be questionable
because it subverts stereotypes of metalcore but
it works because it has a grunge theme. Also, it’s
the artwork on the album cover that the
advertisement is promoting, and so it will become
recognisable, which will help the physical CD sales.
The main text follows the correct codes and
conventions of a pop punk/metalcore band
magazine advertisement. The neutral blue, which
also matches the neutral tones of the background,
is a colour used often in this genre. Also, the font
is very stereotypically metalcore. The jagged,
outline edges; the overlapping letters; the fading
colour and the slanted angel. These are all factors
that I’ve seen be used a lot in a range of different
magazine advertisements.
The main image is the largest thing on the page
and is of the band in question. Their outfits are
typical of the pop punk/metalcore genre that
there music fits into. They’re wearing graphic tees
(t-shirts with designs on the front) which are very
popular amongst fans of this genre, and black or
acid wash skinny jeans. Their hair is short and
semi-spikes/across their face which is also
stereotypical of the metalcore genre.
The band’s merch website is featured on this
advertisement, which is where the fans can buy
this album. Not only does this increase album
sales, but new fans can research the band more
on the website.
This particular band member is wearing a
branded ‘Obey’ hat. A couple of years ago,
no one in the metalcore genre would be
wearing a branded hat, but in recent years
fashion with different genres have merged.
Also, the fact that the brand is clearly on
show in the magazine advertisement,
suggests that the brand payed the band to
feature their brand.
The band’s album that is being advertised has
the album cover featured on the front. This
not only makes the album cover recognisable
to potential buyers in shops, but also clearly
shows what is being advertised. Therefore,
the purpose of the magazine advertisement is
clear.
The blue banner has a spray-paint design,
which follows the edgy style of the
metalcore genre. Also the blue follows the
colour scheme of the whole page which
This banner at the bottom is necessary on
each magazine advertisements. It not only
includes essential information, such as
website links and email addresses of the
band, but also it lists all the sponsors of the
band. In this case, HMV is one of the sponsors
and so their logo is featured on the banner.
The black background of the banner slightly
contrasts with the blue tones in the rest of
the advertisement, but not too much.

4. The main image is to the right of the page, which is
unusual. Normally, to attract a wider audience, the
image would be in the centre so it’d be the first
thing the audience focuses on. However, the fact
that this advertisement breaks the conventions
suggests that this star/singer is well known enough
to do so. Billie Joe Armstrong, the lead singer of
Green Day can still be easily recognised and so the
fact that he’s not in the centre could potentially be
on purpose.
The image is indirect mode of address but that’s
because this isn't a studio shot. The image used
was taken during a Green Day performance and so
it’s more than likely that Armstrong had no idea
that the picture was being taken. This is effective
because it makes him seem passionate and it
shows the audience what he does best, rather than
him posing for a picture.
The bottom half of the picture is split into two –
giving information on the album on one half. The
colour scheme (of red, white and black) is followed
throughout this section. The main text is in red,
with the song names in white. This also follows the
colour scheme of the album cover of the album
being advertised.
The album cover is featured in a small box, yet it’s
still able to be recognised with the famous grenade
heart being very visible. This will help new fans
recognise the album in shops or online when
buying the CD.
The band name is featured in large
lettering in the band’s unique font. The
white colour is unusual because a code of
a music advertisement is to use the
brightest colour of the colour scheme for
the main text. However, this page is
successful because of all the ways it’s
broken the codes and conventions – and
so in it’s own way this works.
The main song name from the album is
also is big lettering on the advertisement,
It’s not as big as the main text so the
focus isn’t taken away from it. The font is
also unusual as it has the potential to be
hard to read. However, as the song is
quite famous it is able to be understood
quite well.
This half of the bottom section focuses
on the new singles on the album being
advertised. The songs are in white, while
the rest of the text is in red. This follows
the colour scheme and ensures that the
song titles stand out form the rest of the
text.
Another convention is broken here as the
same image is repeated 3 time – the main
image, and 2 small images where one is
flipped. This is usual as normally a magazine
would prefer to use different images of the
same person to draw attention.