2. Intro
One of the most important aspects of designing the cover and advertising of albums is to ensure
that the conventions suit the target demographic it is aiming for, as well as to convey the genre of
the work itself. This can be done through a wide variety of methods, from font choice, colour
palette, setting, and the representation of the artist. These three examples are from a range of
genres, and demonstrate the differences between each to gain different appeal.
3. Canopy Climbers -
Stuck
The genre of this album is indie pop,
and this is clearly conveyed through
conventions. It is colourful, abstract
and uses simple fonts and shapes
reminiscent of other albums in the
genre, as shown by these similar real
album covers below:
There is a lack of artist representation,
which can sometimes be due to genre.
However many artists show
themselves in one way or another, and
a criticism is that this digipak could
have done the same.
Digipak not aligned properly
Outside and inside covers dissonant. In
my opinion this is a fine artistic choice,
and fits the production/lyrical
dissonance that is common in the genre.
Two sources of light and heat are
present, a fire and a sparkler.
Contrasting with the cool colours on the
front, This serves to represent
impending danger and the deeper edge
that indie music involves.
Many expected conventions, such as
record label, copyright and barcode.
Clean font choice, suitable for the clean
production style of the genre.
Reviews, retail locations, release date and contact
information is all present, as expected of a
magazine advert.
Both a major label and a subsidiary is used at the
bottom of each. While an indie band signed to a
sublabel can be fairly common, it is unusual to
display both at the same time. The spine on the
album only contains the WB logo, unusual as
subsidiaries are almost always given priority.
A purple colour scheme is at the forefront. Fitting as
vibrant colours are common in the genre.
Text is misaligned and inconsistent
between poster and album cover. Better
consistency between the two would make
for a more professional looking product.
Target audience would be generally
middle class, white and young. The simple,
more artistic cover leans towards that
demographic.
4. Miguel –
Kaleidoscope
Dream
This is an RnB album, and I like the
way it includes certain conventions of
the genre while also taking them in a
unique direction. The artist focus and
themes of love are elements that have
been present since the origins of the
genre.
The below albums showcase the
strong artist focus as well as urban
settings.
Clear focus is placed on the
performer, which is standard among
the majority of RnB albums.
Includes record label, place to
purchase and website, all good
things to have on advertisements.
Themes of love, which should be
self explanatory to the genre.
Track listing is at a slanted angle, which I
like because it reflects how eyes follow a
page.
Unusual shape of magazine advert. I
dislike it because it will be
incompatible with most magazine
formats.
List of hit singles, gives a good hook
for fans of an artist’s previous work.
Yellows, Greens and other colours associated with
nature give it a warm, natural look.
‘Handwritten’ font gives a personal touch fitting of the genre.
Criticism: The black font colour makes it
hard to read the back and spine text.
Costume is a suit, ‘high class’ and
suitable for the genre. The black
main performer also fits
convention, as well as appeal to a
majority black audience.RCA, a major subsidiary label is present.
This is correct for the mainstream genre of
RnB.
This album takes place in a natural forest
setting. This is a major deviance from the
urban setting of generic conventions as well
as the largely urban demographics. I
personally like this as it gives the album a
unique look while still sticking to other
conventions.
5. Sum 41 - All Killer
No Filler
This hard rock cover uses several
conventions fitting of the genre. The
overall feel of the album is a dark,
violent tone. This feeling is achieved
through the imagery of broken glass
and the dark alleyway. The low key
lighting and colour palette further
enhances the feel.
Unlike many other magazine adverts,
the cover is not replicated and
upscaled for the new ratio, but rather
the album itself is displayed in a
creative manner.
Reviews and ‘out now’ are standard conventions
of the
Vinyl record player style CD insert. I
personally do not like this because it
neither fits the genre or the actual
format being used.
Low key lighting and dark colours give it a grungy look
fitting of the genre.
I like this cover because it is a creative way of
displaying the album. The tagline is clever and
makes it feel like a ‘must have’ product.
Blood font I don’t like, but it does fit the edge of
the genre.
Band is on inside cover to establish
identity. Clothing matches the
‘homemade garage band’ feel that many
groups in this genre ascribe for.
Large, bold font fits genre.
Poster implies that you are meant to steal the
album. Good for punk aesthetic, bad for
business?
Alleyway, urban setting reflecting
locations commonly seen in music
videos.
The target demographic for the genre
would be young, white, lower class and
urban. The settings of dark alleyways
suits this well, as does the band on the
cover matching this representation.
The imagery of shattered glass implies
violence, fitting the harsh themes of the
genre. It also suits the title of the album,
such as the word ‘killer’, as well as the
perceived insult towards other bands for
having ‘filler’.
6. Conclusion
Overall, I believe that many of these examples are successful at establishing genre, and any flaws
they have are comparatively minor and do not detract from the ancillary tasks as a whole.
Important aspects to consider when creating the genre of albums are:
Colour and Lighting Levels
Settings
Costume
Imagery
