A2 Media Coursework – Toluwaloju Awojobi

DigiPak Analysis 6X

On this first DigiPak that I analysed, there was a lack of images, which is a negative point because it then has no iconography. The colour scheme is very simple too, with background in orange and all writing in yellow, which is clear against the background, but this is not very stand out in a shop.

The text itself has the artist name at the top, and the album title at the bottom in big clear letters, which connotes that is what the artist wants to be recognised by the audience.

The styling of this digipak comes from the font originally, which has a more retro style to it, like the disco signs of the 70s, which also is connoted through the title of the album, ‘groove’ a term which was used more often in that era.

The only branding on this digipak is the use of the 3 o’s on the title groove, which may be something artist want to be specific to be them, however it is not very memorable.

The main function for this digipak is to inform, with the credits on the panels.

DigiPak No. 1

The main image being used in this digipak is the meteors coming down to earth used on the front cover, which could connote the impact this album may have on the audience and industry.

On the cover, the font is in yellow and below the image. The use of yellow makes it a clear against the dark red and background. There are also credits on the panels that are in white, which have the function.

The images on this digipak are more photography and art, with the image on the front cover looking more like it could have been a real scene, which may connote the style of this album; it may be more about real situations, not as light hearted as other albums.

With the use of the meteors, this could be a rock album, however as the theme has a more cosmic theme, this may be appealing to an indie audience.

The image and text on the colour feature the same colour, which will create a bond between what is being said in the text and the initial impact the image has on the viewer.

Due to the colour scheme and image, this seems like it may be more of an indie album than mainstream.

DigiPak No. 2

There is an image on the front cover that takes up half of the space on the front cover, with the rest being the album title and artist name. The image shows the artists instrument, which connotes the genre of the music. This is further connoted by the bright colours that are used on this cover, showing that this music is more upbeats and happy.

The panels are covered in credit information, which is the main function of this digipak. The text itself is in black, which is clear against the bright coloured background. The font on the front cover is in a bright yellow colour against a pink background. Yellow is the only constant in colours, as it is also on the cd and a panel.

This again is a retro digipak, with all the colours looking like a throw back to the disco of the 70s, pop of the 80s and commercial Hip-Hop of the early 90s.

This brands the audience as a happy upbeat, also exclusively summer time band.

This will attract many people in a music shop, however it may be somewhat off-putting, so this is more likely to be an indie album, with a niche target audience who is definitely looking for this style of digipak.

DigiPak No. 3

Images are used all over this digipak, with the panels shown as a keyboard, which connotes the genre and artist style of music without having to listen to the album, which is a positive function of this digipak. Also the cd is presented as a vinal record, which may be a throw back to the origins of the music on the album.

The text is white on the panels, which is used for credit information.

As the artist used these images, they are branded as someone who is heavily influenced by the orgins of the music they are making, and likes to pay tribute to them. This further connotes that the audience is heavily niche, as this digipak was made to appeal to particular kind of person, and the majority will not pick this up unless the arte looking for it.

DigiPak No. 4

There is a bright colour scheme again on this digipak, with the main colours being yellow and pink on the cover, and yellow, green and blue on the panels. The main image is at the centre of the front cover, with the title o at the bottom in the black, which is a fairly standard layout for a front cover. There is not a lot of text on this digipak, with the only visible text the title.

This is a mainly animated style, with the images being drawings of the animals. This could connote the artists style, which could also be wild and animated, which is further connoted by the bright colours.

This is made for a particular niche audience, mainly indie, because this sort of style will not appeal to a wide audience. This digipak acts as a way of giving the audience a view of what the artist’s music and personality is like without them listening to the music.

DigiPak No. 6

This artist is featured heavily on the digipak, which connotes her popularity as she is selling point and is able to sell the album by her face being on it. The image of her face is the background on the front cover, with the colour scheme following her hair and lips. There is hardly any texts used on this entire digipak, with the only text being in white and not visible from far. It is the artist name and album title.

There is also a removable sleeve that has the text on it.

All the images on this digipak are photographed, and have been taken specifically for the use on this digipak.

Images on this digipak also are heavy genre signifiers, with the roses on the panels connoting how the music is sweet and universally loved, which is mainstream music. The roses also connote love, which could be a possible theme of the music and even further connote the artist as a sex symbol. The images also heavily conform to the male gaze ideology (Mulvey), which will attract a wide male audience.

With the image on the front cover being a close up and the album title loud, it is as if the image is amplified to make it bigger and louder, and the audience will be able to hear the artist speaking loud on this album.

With the lack of text on this digipak, this is clearly a mainstream digipak, as it is an easy pick up for the audience with wide appeal due to the images chosen and lack of text.

The main function of this digipak, therefore, is to attract an audience.

DigiPak No. 6