Magazine Advert Analysis

Any magazine advert should in theory be as eye-catching as possible and thus help to persuade the reader to buy the album once it is released, if not already. The conventions of a typical album advert would include the name of the artist and/or their logo, the album title, and singles which have been released pre album release and the album release date, and sometimes where to buy the album. A magazine advert for a CD album would usually consist of an exact replica of the album cover artwork as this would help the consumers to recognise and be familiar with the album cover and the artist for when they go to purchase the CD in stores or online. The place which the advert is found in can also play an important role in the identification of the album genre and whom the target audience for the artist may be. For example; an advert for am album under a boy band is most likely to be found in teenage magazines and not a magazine such as Kerrang!

5 SECONDS OF SUMMER
The first album advert which I chose to analyse was for 5 Seconds Of Summer's debut album, released June 2014. This particular album advert I didn't find in a magazine, but in the One Direction 2014 tour programme, therefore you can note the difference in shape of the advert, as opposed to the traditional a4 magazine layout size. The album advert features all the basic conventions which were previously stated, apart from potential places where the album could be purchased or pre-ordered. The advert features the artist name and logo at the top of the page, it includes the release date, any singles which had already been released and also the exact image replica from the CD album cover. Therefore, this is an effective album advert because it engages the reader to register who the artist is and a rough idea of what the album cover would look like in order to spot it in stores or online.
The official website link is also seen in the bottom right hand corner of the album advert. This can help readers to identify the brand of the band and is also a form of synergy which can help readers to go online and find out more about the band if they wish.

OLLY MURS
The second album advert which I chose to analyse was for Olly Murs debut album in 2010. The album advert once again features all the basic conventions mentioned for an album advert; the album release date, singles already released, the album name and the artist.
The interesting thing about this advert, similarly to the 5 Seconds Of Summer one is that the album name is never explicitly written, leaving the reader to question whether the album is a self-titled album or if the name is missing from the advert. In both cases, they are self-titled albums, however this can be slightly unclear to the reader and may be a negative side of both these adverts.

Once again, the album advert is a direct replica of the image used on the front cover of the CD. The advert uses the same colour scheme as the CD, which may perhaps help the reader to identify the artist and what the album will look like in stores so it can be easier for them to find if they wish to purchase it once it has been released, or even as a pre-order online.

The official website is also listed underneath the album release date, this allows readers to go online and find out more about the specific artist if they wish to do so.
It may also be important to note that the release date is displayed in a different colour to the rest of the text which makes it stand out more and puts more emphasis on the importance of the release date than any other information listed on the advert.



YOU ME AT SIX
The third album advert which I chose to analyse was for You
Me At Six's album 'Hold Me Down' which was released in 2010. Once again this advert follows the same conventions as the other two adverts previously mentioned.

The interesting thing with this advert is that it doesn't spell out the album name, although obvious, it leaves it up to the reader to figure out the album name, which is shown underneath the artist name. The album release date is shown in a different colour to the rest of the font which places emphasis on the importance of the release date and it stands out to the reader straight away which immediately informs the reader when the album is released.

The album advert is once again a direct replica of the CD album cover, which also once again helps the reader to be able to identify the album in stores or online or on iTunes if they wish to purchase it once available, or pre-order it as it is not yet available.

An interesting aspect of this album advert is that underneath the release date there is a website which you can purchase the album at - Play.com. This suggests that perhaps Play.com are sponsoring the album advert because that can't be the only place which the album is available at, yet it is the only place visible on the album advert, which suggests to me that Play.com have sponsored You Me At Six' album advert.

LANA DEL REY
The fourth and final album advert which I chose to analyse was for Del Rey's 'Born To Die' album, released in 2012. This album advert was taken from Q magazine which suggests to me that the genre of this album must be indie as Q magazine features mostly indie and alternative artists, therefore the chances of this being a pop album are slimmer due to the magazine this advert was found in. The album advert is once again a direct replica of the album cover.

This album advert, very similarly to the You Me At Six advert, features the amazon logo in the bottom left hand corner, meaning that the album can be purchased from amazon. However, once again amazon is most obviously not going to be the only place which this album can be purchased at, and once again perhaps this advert is sponsored by amazon so therefore their logo is featured on the advert to encourage readers to purchase the album from amazon as opposed to other websites or shops.










Below are the full in depth analyses of each of these album adverts identified above.



After analysing different album adverts of different artists and different genres, I have learnt that most artists play it safe and use an exact replica of their album cover for album advertisements. I feel that this is probably an effective marketing strategy because the customers will know straight away what to look for in shops or online if they wish to purchase the album and they will also be familiarised with the artist, if not already. All four of the album adverts which I have analysed are identical replicas of the album cover, it is rather rare to find an artist using different images on an album advert in contrast to the album cover.