E.L - Digipak & Advert Analysis

P. Diddy - Press Play

Form & Structure
A digipak consist of a CD case that makes up the whole casing surrounding the CD and usually created from card in order to become more eco-friendly. The structure of the case is therefore a shape that will provide a solid cover for the CD. Each one is different and the shapes vary. The design on each one however is very similar using matching colours and images that relate to one another often featuring the artist. P. Diddy – Press Play is a good example of a CD cover that uses all of these features. The front of the cover is a large close-up picture of the artist (P. Diddy) surrounded by an electric blue colour. This is the same glowing colour from the ‘play’ symbol on the back of the cover. Part of the symbol is reflected in the dark glasses that P. Diddy is wearing. The image is the same in both sides of the glasses and match the background drawing the focus to the centre of the artist’s face. This is exactly the same technique used for the two page spread advert. One page is solely an enlarged image of the front cover as the other holds the information needed about the album, using the same black background and the same font as the back of the album cover does.

Genre
The genre of the music that P. Diddy creates is a mixture of Hip Hop, R&B and dance-pop. This album is exactly the same and the images perhaps focus more upon the dance element rather than rap. This is evident due to the bright lights and colours that are so often associated with the dance genre. However many rap artists are known for showing off expensive clothing and jewellery. This convention is reinforced as P.Diddy has on what would seem an expensive suit, two diamond earrings and of course a pair of stylish glasses that the main focus is upon. Obviously as the advertisement used for the album is produced using the same image the genre characteristics are the same.

Visual Techniques
The image used in both the advertisement and the front cover of the CD case is very iconic as it can almost be passed off as a photograph. The main image of P. Diddy would seem to be a photo and then using other visual techniques it has been enhanced, for example the reflection in the glasses of the ‘play’ symbol. The artist himself would have been airbrushed in order to make sure that the image made him as aesthetically pleasing as possible. And also this would allow focus upon the reflection in his glasses and not to an ‘impurity’ on his skin or suit. Therefore although this looks very much like a photograph would, upon closer inspection it is clearly not.
The font used as well to display the information uses a very thin, simple type so that the words can be read easily. This would be an example of non-representational graphics as they have clearly been added and do not resemble hand writing or anything that may be included as a photo. A contrast between both white and the same electric, baby blue are used singling out the most important features in the blue colour, matching with the rest of the advertisement and CD case.

Meaning
The main purpose of the advertisement is to let readers of the magazine know when the new album is to be released and also includes information of interest to the reader. For example; P. Diddy collaborates with a number of other artists and some of the more popular ones are listed. As the advert is spread across two pages it allows the information to be set almost apart from the main image both promoting the artist and the album separately. However including the main play logo and font that is used on the album cover it still allows the information to be related to the album and is very important in the overall meaning of the advert.

Linguistic Devices
The lexis used within both the advert and the album itself would be classified in the semantic field of music as a product. Words such as ‘single, album and featuring’ are all examples of lexis that represents the music industry. Similarly the label in the bottom corner of the album cover stating ‘explicit content’ is a clear sign that the album is a product. There is a contrast between legal obligations and descriptions of the album to suit every aspect of the market. The connotations of a phrase such as ‘smash single’ for example would be that the record has had an explosive impact in the charts and been a huge hit.

Intertextuality
Within both the poster as an advertisement and the album there does not seem to be a large focus upon intertextuality. It is possible that the names of other artists and the title of a single could be seen as intertextuality however there is not an obvious symbolic representation of any other media text. The only example may be the play logo as this would symbolise pressing ‘play’ however has not been used frequently previous to this and so would not be a good example of intertextuality.

Artist Representation
As stated previously the artist is perceived in the best possible light after a number of visual effects have been used to adjust the artist. In this case the artist is represented in a way that shows his superiority due to his smart authoritative suit and serious facial expression. This perhaps is due to the success of the artist and he is perceived as an important figure in this genre of music. The clothing and accessories that P. Diddy is photographed in however show his suave style and expensive taste almost showing off the success of the artist. Similarly with the advertisement the focus on the large number of different artists that he has collaborated with shows his prowess as a talented artist. Some of the biggest names in the music industry and the genre are listed such as Timbaland, Jamie Foxx and Mary J would show to any audience interested in this genre of music of his significance. This almost anchors the image of a very successful P. Diddy.

Text Consumption
The main consumer of an advertisement in the ‘Touch’ magazine would be anybody interested in this particular genre of music. This may be an individual trying to find out the release date of a particular album or somebody flicking the pages and being caught by the advert. This would be an example of both passive and active consumption. This advertisement would predominantly be consumed by an individual or group with an interest in this particular type of music. The album however may be consumed by a number of different demographics as songs being played on the radio are often listened to passively by a number of different people. This would also be the case with passive consumption of people listening to music channels being watched by other individuals. However people that like the artist or a number of the songs on the album would be the main revenue for album sales unless buying a present for a relative or friend. However the album would then be consumed mainly by the receiver of the gift and would probably fall under the category of a fan of the music.