Example of an Artist's/band's digipak & advertisement package

So we are already aware of the benefits and reasons behind a digipak and artist advertisement(if not take a look at my last blog!), (TO PROMOTE THE ARTIST VISUALLY), here I have selected an artist that continuously represents how she wants to be perceived in the industry through their advertising techniques.

Rihanna is a massive dirty pop artist who keeps nothing clean cut about her graduating 'Good girl gone bad' image. She invests alot in her image to create the well known world wide brand that we know of today. Ever gone to the shop and thought "OMG! That is sooo Riri"?
Ooh well I guess thats just me then. Rihanna not only invests in her self image but invest in her wholee brand from her navy(fans) to her haters. Shes created a range of different merchandise, perfume, t's etc just to name a few. She has also been the recent face of Armani and that should be known to boost her image more than ever!
A great skill about Rihanna's  recent business ventures is that she includes a clear visual of her genre and style. She never fails to commit, she'll be fun in one album and grungy in the next. You just never know with her! & this is why she is a favourite in the media, she never keeps herself being "predictable" but remains an artist that is always evolving as she knows just how to put on a show.

Here are examples of Riri's 'stuff':



Through these images you get the idea that Rihanna seeks to not be limited in whatever she does and this links back to her popularity as an artist. Her fans range from different ages and different races. She has also been the voice of charities that she finds close to her heart(trust me a lot of artists do this to showcase a variety in their perception).

These days as you may or may not know, artists and performers are struggling to remain relevant and most importantly gain profit from their albums and singles. So many have invested in merchandising and a highly priced concert tickets.


Rihanna's digipak for last album 'Loud':

Researching Ancillary Products - Digipak (skills development)

below shows screenshots of me learning how to use adobe photoshop.

Researching Ancillary Products - summary of class discussion around the importance and function of digipaks to the music industry.

In todays lesson (29th November 2011) we learnt:


Digipaks are used to promote the artist visually. Artists gain more revenue through  their digpaks and merchandising.





An example of an artist that promotes visually : Tinie Tempah's Disturbing London Merchandise

Digipak

We have finally finished editing our music video, and now we are moving to the ancillary project. First lesson back and we have been giving an introduction to digipaks and merchandise, and the importance of them both.

Digipak

A digipak is the packaging of a cd, whether its an album, single or DVD.  It is used to promote the artist, and reflect their genre style, often artist have a signature brand, this may include a logo which is associated with the artist previous work. Here is an example of a digipak, the font mimics the theme, it is quite cute it is clear this has been thought out as the artist is laying on candy floss, which is associated with sweet and cute things, the other font is also candy based the text has the colours mimic the candy cane. The artist is the main focus as she is centre mid frame, the colours are reasonable muted, therefore she stands out even more there's no distractions hence she is being promoted rightly, additional information such as the record label is included, the list of songs and people who helped produce the digipak. Overall the artist is obvious and the candy theme suits the artist genre, POP!


Whilst discussing what makes a successful digipak it became apparent, that portraying a theme which suits your genre, a digipak is sold in stores, and for audience to gain interest in the product it has to connote its given purpose.

Digipak & advertisement Intro

Today we understood in a more technical form of the importance of the artwork of the digipak. I call this understanding technical because before this I just thought the artists chose a theme that they wanted to follow, however the makeup of a digipak goes beyond this concept and touches upon the concept of leading a continuity that is of the artist/bands album song theme.

Why fuss with the popular artwork?
* Grabs attention
* Increases artist identity
* Provides info
* Advertisement
* Indicates artists intended direction(e.g Katy Perry undertakes the direction of fun type of poppy music)




The importance of the ancillary product to the artist and the industry (& in relation to the music vid): 


* Wide audience target
* Keeps artist hot & current
* Identity = brand
* More ideas of how artist can build empire(MONEY!)
* Increased fanbase
* Promotion for artist recognition

Researching Ancillary Products - summary of class discussion around the importance and functions of digi packs to the music industry

These are my notes from the lesson:

I believe CD covers are still used despite CD sales dropping because customers still want to put money into the hands of the artist for a physical copy of there music along with artwork. There is also collectible/memorable value in owning a CD. What the artist stands for.

Why is artwork popular?:

Promotion of the artist

Grabs attention

Collectable/memorable

Gives info

Indication of artist

Advertisement

Identity 

Mp3 file

Ancillary Product:

Artist Image / brand
without promotion artists wouldn’t be known.

Attract audience, build relationship with fan base.

Promotion

When you see ancillary related to the artist you will look their videos up

Money from merchandise to be made

Being kept in the public eye

Reach a wider audience

Adding value encourage us to part with our money

Plays on our love with music

Something special.

Digipack: Tracklisting

Name

large clear font fore-ground.
Promotional sticker

Product info copyright year of production

Web address

Back: echoing visual style of front.

3-4 colours

graqhic design

link with advertising.

Inside:

Acknowledgements

same style

track list

reviews – quotes

Do a spine

record label on front

Link between artwork and video.

DO’S

USE A CLEAR FONT (READABLE)

APPROPRIATE SIZES FOR FONT AND IMAGES

IN FOCUS

APPROPRIATE SHAPE PHOTOS

TYPE FACE REFLECT CONVENTIONS OF THE GENRE

USE A LAY OUT THAT FOLLOWS RULE OF 3^RD’S

3 COLOUR RULE . NO CLASH OF COLOURS

BARCODE





DON’T

STRETCH IMAGES

LAYER STYLES

NO UNNESSESSARY EFFECTS

TEXT ON ARTIST FACE

FONT 

In this lesson we spoke about the use of digi-packs and other Ancillary Products. It gave me a good idea about designing my album cover.

Performers person: Was it an success? Did they understand?

Like every decade before since pop music began, the 2000s brought out very talented female singers that shaped the ever-evolving pop music genre with their unique interpretations and creations of amazing songs. It seems that from 2000 to the end of the decade dance/techno music became very popular(the charts are a good example of this). Artists like Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Beyonce, and Britney especially embraced the dance/techno trend toward the end. Throughout the 2000s, songs ranged from soulful ballads to heart-pumping, rhythmical dance beats. Just-as-diverse were the singer's fascinating personas, which helped propel them to huge commercial successes. 

Our very own artist donned the persona of fearless, powerful,CONFIDENT, talented,successful, stylish, independent,skillful, modern, relatable, beautiful and unstoppable! I had to watch a lot of music(as I do always anyway) and interpret what I thought made a very good female and male artist in their character they portrayed in their music videos. I even went as far as researching on those who were deemed as incredible entertainers and public image speakers before, such as Chaka Khan, Whitney Houston, James Brown, Diana Ross, The Supremes, Bob Marley, Margret Thatcher(Yes, even Thatcher, as much as an national tyrant that she was I still consider her as an admirable female), Desmond Tutu, Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela, Trevor Mcdonald and some others.  Hopefully, I did successfully channel all their entertaining attributes and my own drama experience into my performance *fingers crossed*





And last but not least one of my favourite performers/rappers of my decade... Yes it is! My American husband(in my mind)... KANYE WEST



And now my other husband...(Well in my mind he is)... Yep! You all guessed it Jamal Noel Fyffe AKA Chipmunk!