Magazine Choice

Magazine Choice

Choosing the right magazine for a music advert is essential; a product's target market must correspond to some extent with the readership of the magazine in which it features, otherwise the advertisement would not be effective. The advertisement should also look like it 'belongs' in the magazine in regards to its style and genre. The artwork of the advert should connote a mood which somewhat matches the moods created by other articles and adverts of the magazine. 

I started with the genre of my music video - pop music. I found three popular magazines which appeared to feature pop music advertisements by bands and artistes who were similar to my own. Choosing a popular magazine to feature an advert is no doubt costly, however it ensures that a wide audience will receive the product which is being promoted. It is worthwhile mentioning that having an advertisement in a popular magazine would not be possible on a small budget. 

Billboard

Billboard magazine is exclusively a music magazine, featuring a variety of music genres and artistes. It is regarded as a global magazine, since it can be found in North America, Brazil, Greece, Japan, Korea and Russia (among other countries), and online too. It is well known for its charts (such as the Billboard Hot 100) and prides itself as "the world's most influential music media brand reaching key executives and tastemakers in and around the music business". 

Its readership is very broad, and in terms of music genre the target audience is not completely specific. Articles involve pop, latin, rock, indie and others. For my own magazine advert, the broad audience of Billboard magazine could be beneficial because it enhances the possibility that other demographics can explore and enjoy my product, rather than my own niche demographic exclusively. 

The example front cover of this magazine happens to be the singer of 'Try Everything', Shakira. Shakira's songs in the English language often fit into the same pop genre as 'Try Everything', suggesting that this particular magazine would in fact be ideal for my magazine advertisement.

Entertainment Weekly 

The Entertainment Weekly magazine is a lot more broad in the content which it supplies; not only does it feature articles about music, it also mentions the events in the film, TV and literature industries. More often than not, the cover of the magazine displays an upcoming film or a recent popular TV series. Even on the example cover given above, it can be seen that this particular issue is a 'special music issue', meaning the star of the front would have to be an artiste anyway. 

This magazine has a broad audience in another sense to the broad audience of the Billboard magazine. The fact that the product which I am trying to promote is an album (with a relatively niche target audience) suggests that the readership of this particular magazine may be too diverse to make my promotion a success. The vast amount of money that it would cost to have an advert feature in the Entertainment Weekly may not be worthwhile, since the target audience may not be reached and this risks ineffectiveness. In spite of this, the main coverage of music that the magazine does feature is music of my music video's genre (pop, and famous artistes like Shakira). In this way, the music edition of the Entertainment Weekly magazine would be an ideal place for my magazine advert to be shown. 

NME

NME, 'New Music Express' is a magazine which is well established, having been first released in 1952. One of its main advantages in regards to my own music video project is that it is exclusively a music magazine, ensuring that its readership is likely to be interested in the purchase of new albums. NME features the most recent artistes and new music (hence the magazine company name). The music genres which it features are varied, including articles on older pop/rock bands such as The Beatles, hip-hop artistes, rock bands and some more contemporary pop. In terms of genre, my magazine advertisement would fit somewhat comfortably in this magazine. 

Upon conducting further research, I found that the demographic of this magazine is not that similar to the demographic for my own music video and advertisement - the lack of correlation between these two demographics runs the risk of the expensive advertisement being ineffective. According to statista, a statistics website, 676,000 of the 971,000 adults (15 years and above) who read the magazine in 2016-17 were in fact male. Considering that a large portion of my own music video's target audience is younger females, these statistics suggest that NME is not the best magazine to feature my advertisement. 


Overall, I would choose to feature my album advertisement in the Billboard magazine, since it is the magazine which correlates the most accurately with the target audience for my own music video. This is an essential element of the choosing process because it ensures that the advertisement reaches the right people - the people who are most likely to invest in the product which I am promoting with my advertisement. 

My Magazine Advert Analysis

My Magazine Advert Analysis

For my music video magazine advertisement, I decided on a pastel pink background. The pink colour would stereotypically appeal to younger females, who happen to be a large part of the music video's demographic thanks to the young female actresses involved and the nature of pop music as a genre. The pink colour for the background matches the same pink that can be found within the 'try everything' photo, and also happens to be a modern craze popular for the music video's target audience: "millennial pink". The use of colour alone is appealing on many levels. 

I wanted the overall design to be simple and soft to the eye, so paler colours were implemented and were never matched with a contrasting colour which could be harsh to the eye. The pink-purple colour palette is consistent throughout the design. 

The record label is displayed at the top of the page, and is displayed in a more creative manner as part of the border of the advertisement. I originally drew inspiration from George Ezra's album advert - I think it is a professional and creative way to inform the consumers about the record label. The use of a wispy line makes the advert look more casual, which would appeal to my target audience. 

The name of the artiste is in large letters at the top of the advert, since one of the unique selling points of my music video is the fact that it is performed by Shakira and featured in the Walt Disney Motion Picture, Zootropolis. Shakira as a well known artiste also has a specific style of music attached to her name, so having her name in such a prominent position on my magazine advertisement should help the product reach out to another branch of the demographic, or explore a new branch of the demographic of the music video.

This piece of information is perhaps less important than the artiste's name and the release date of the product, so it has not been written in the same bold font, rather the second font used in the advertisement design. Nevertheless, the information is still important enough to be featured on the magazine advertisement; supplying the consumer with the essential knowledge of what the product being marketed is. This particular font has been used throughout the design of the music video and the products affiliated with it, ensuring a professional consistency. The font is also soft and 'girly', which is relevant to my target demographic. 

The picture which I have chosen to feature on the magazine advertisement is the same image which is used throughout the branding of my music video: the silhouette of the running character against the cloud with the silver lining. The image matches the image used for the album cover, making the product easier to find for the consumer looking to purchase the product. The consistent use of the image should also enable the product to be well recognised in terms of marketing. 

The same font has been used again to emphasise the release date for my music video (or the fact that it is 'out now'). This information is naturally crucial for the magazine readers to know so that they can be reminded to buy the currently available material. I chose to have 'out now' instead of a specific date so that the consumable products are available when the advertisement would be received, thus enabling them to respond instantly to the advert (which in turn improves the advert's efficiency). The same wispy lines have been used wither side of the release information, which not only draws readership attention towards the release date, but also frames the important information that features above. 

The 'girly' font is used once more to provide the readers with another reason to invest in the music video and album. Mentioning on the advert a song that the readers may already be familiar with is likely to further encourage the reader to consider purchasing the product. The use of the phrase 'no.1' implies that the consumers would be investing their money in a product of the best quality. 

At the bottom of the magazine advertisement, the link to the product's website can be found, thus leading the readership to a portal where the music video and album can be further promoted and in more detail. This is efficient and easy for the consumers to understand. The bold, capitalised lettering aids clarity as well. 

All in all, the pink and white theme creates a satisfying product (leaning more towards the feminine demographic, but relevant nonetheless) which promotes the music video and album in a simplistic and clear way. The effective use of space and the organised framing of the design means that the readers of the magazine would not be overwhelmed by busyness. Only the bare essential information is displayed on the design, meaning the consumers do not get overwhelmed with excessive confusing information (which should therefore increase the likelihood of the product being invested in; there are no distractions). I think that the overall product is simple, informative, professionally organised and efficient.  

Final Product: My Magazine Advert

Final Product: My Magazine Advert

Magazine Advert Moodboard

Magazine Advert Moodboard

I have created a moodboard of music magazine adverts by selecting advertisements which naturally caught my eye and appealed to me for different reasons. By doing this, I hope that I will get a feel for which styles are successful and which styles I would like to adopt for my own album's magazine advert design.

1. The Olly Murs advert caught my eye because I find the use of colour intriguing and aesthetically satisfying. The crimson colour featured in the artiste's outfit is used for his name on the advert, thus making his name stand out. The product which he wants to sell is clear: himself as a brand. 

2. My favourite thing about Ed Sheeran's '+' album advert design is the fat that a small image of his album is featured on the advertisement. This is handy at informing the magazine reader exactly what his product looks like (so there is no confusion as to what they are looking for online or on shelves). It is also interesting that the only real colour used throughout the advert is orange - the colour scheme which is consistent throughout the branding of his album. 

3. I like the brand consistency of the Bastille advert in regards to font, which is unique and still easy to read. The dull colour scheme, however, does not appeal to me and would not be appropriate for my chosen genre of music video.

4. The second Ed Sheeran magazine advert for his tour stands out with the use of bright blue against the monotone background. I like the fact that this advertisement does not feature the artiste so prominently - it appears to focus on promoting the product itself rather than the image of the artiste, which is an element that I opt for with my own product. Again, just like his previous advert for '+', a small image of the album cover is featured on the page, which enhances practicality. 

5. I like Jay-Z's magazine advertisement because it is the most unique: the artiste is not featured anywhere on the advert. I like this element because the promotion of the album is presented as more important in this way, rather than the mainstream promotion of the image of the artiste or band. The colours used are extremely simple and aesthetically pleasing - red, black and white. The overall product has an abstract feel, which is unique and interesting to me. 

6. One of my favourite designs is Dua Lipa's magazine advert because it uses a bold font, and all of the information is simply organised on a solid background, overall improving clarity of information. This clarity of information is essential in ensuring that the product which is being sold is understood. The consistent colour palette is aesthetically pleasing too, and looks organised. 

7. George Ezra's advert caught my eye because I like the use of fonts. There are only two, but they are very easy to read (even more so with the use of solid background). The artiste/character still features on the product, but overall the product appears pleasantly simplistic and natural. 

8. The artiste takes up the most space on the page in Rihanna's music magazine advert, which is something that does not appeal to me. However, the style and spacing of the font is consistent which is satisfying and eye-catching (and informative in an efficient manner - an element which I strive to create in my own magazine advert). 

Magazine Advert Analysis - Adele, 21

Magazine Advert Analysis - Adele, 21

The most noticeable aspect of this album magazine advert is the use of colour. The black and white monotone page highlights the lime green colour which is used throughout the branding for the album, thus showing a desirable consistency. The black and white is not overwhelming, however the prominence of the black colour would be ideal in a magazine, since the dark coloured ink would stand bold amongst other advertisements in the magazine. The use of lighting and shading creates a dramatic feel to the album - a feature of the product that is likely to be attractive to its intended audience. 

The image of the artiste herself is dominating the page. This is useful at selling the artiste as a brand image, but also allows the artiste to be clearly recognised if the reader was to be flicking through the pages quickly. In the instance of this particular advert, the artiste occupies almost half of the entire advertisement. The combination of the black and white colour and Adele's solemn expression creates a dramatic feel to the advert; this mood created is ideal because it arguably reflects the overall mood of the album, which contains sombre songs. 

The use of space in the design is noticeable and this helps to reduce overwhelming the reader with information - too much writing or information can be off-putting. It is worth mentioning that the same font style is used throughout the page, which enhances readability and clarity. The action of changing the colour of the font rather than the whole font itself results in a professional appearance with the ability to highlight the most important information (in this case, the album name and where it is available to purchase).

Underneath the artiste name and album name there is a passage of text which mentions awards won by the artiste. This piece of information is useful at interesting readers who do not perhaps belong to the artiste's direct demographic, since the awards could be seen as more promotional material. It is conclusive by Adele's example that a magazine advert should not only appeal to the artiste's target audience or fans, but should also encourage magazine readers anywhere outside of the demographic too. 

A small, square picture of the album cover which is being promoted can be seen in a prominent position on the advertisement - highlighted by a lime green border. This is a very practical element in the design because it allows the readers who are interested in the product to understand what they need to look for in order to invest in the exact product which is being promoted. The presence of this simple image eradicates the possibility of confusion: the advert is practical and effective.

The essential pieces of information, like the record company logo, are presented towards the bottom of the advert. They are easy to access, yet they do not interrupt the artistic element of the magazine advertisement. Practicality is a key aspect of a magazine advert which is portrayed effectively within this example. 

Overall I think that this is an excellent example of a magazine advert which incorporates both art and practicality. It is informative and specific, and achieves this by using colour and form in an artistic and aesthetically interesting manner. 

Magazine Advert Analysis - Ariana Grande, My Everything

Magazine Advert Analysis - Ariana Grande, My Everything

This magazine advert is for Ariana Grande's album, 'My Everything'. The element which stands out the most on this example is the artiste herself in the centre of the advertisement, suggesting that this artiste finds it important to sell themselves as a brand as well as sell their physical product (her album, in this instance). 

The black and white colour scheme could draw attention to readers as they flick through a magazine which is likely to be full of articles and advertisements with colour. This contrast would cause the artiste's advert to stand out from others. The monochrome could also reference the recent 'retro' trend which is likely to appeal to a lot of Ariana Grande's target demographic, thus making the product audience specific.  The use of space is appealing in this advert, making it clearly readable and informative - not overwhelming to the eye at all.

The artiste wears garments which are revealing to a degree, with high heels and heavy make-up. While her positioning and facial expressions imply an innocence of the character, some people may argue that her outfit adds a somewhat voyeuristic element to the advertisement. If so, another area of the artiste's demographic is consequently reached. 

It is noticeable that three fonts are used throughout the design - one for the artiste's name at the top of the advertisement, one for the name of the album and one for the promotional and informative material at the bottom of the advert. Often, a mixture of fonts can make a product look unprofessional, messy and overwhelming, however the neat organisation of the design prevents this undesirable effect. The font used for the artiste's name is a font which is used throughout the branding of the artiste's image, making the font itself relevant and recognisable. It is also clear and easy to read. The second font, the album name, resembles handwriting and appears 'girly' (hinting at the target audience for the advert). The font for the album name is also pink which adds to the 'girly' element and makes the album name stand out (this is practical in an informative sense; the album name is the main product being promoted by the advert). The font used for the information at the bottom of the page is bold, clear and professional which thus avoids confusion for the reader and potential investor of the product.

The information at the bottom of the page is well spaced and not overcrowded, thus increasing the likelihood of the text being read. The main promotional material appears to be the names of the hit tracks (which happen to feature other artistes, meaning that the advertisement could be attempting to reach out to their demographics too, resulting in a wider audience for Ariana Grande). The date is clearly labelled with the use of a larger font at the bottom. 

In conclusion, the design of this magazine advertisement makes it obvious as to who the target demographic is. The use of colour and space has been used in an articulated manner in order to enhance the effectivity of information to the readers of the magazine. The overall simplicity of the design makes it appear effective in terms of information and practicality.

What is a Magazine Advert?

What is a Magazine Advert?

A magazine advert is a form of advertisement which is designed to be featured within a magazine. In the context of a band or artiste's album, these advertisements usually fill a whole page of the magazine. 

They are often designed to be eye-catching, and to provide a small amount of important information (enough to entice the reader to buy their product without overwhelming them with excessive information). 

Bands and artistes mainly use magazine adverts to promote their new song, album, music video or an upcoming tour. Their main purpose is to intrigue the magazine reader to invest in or consume their new product. Magazine advertisements are a good way to reach a different section of the artiste's demographic and in a more personal way than social media, for instance. The magazine in which the advert appears is usually chosen according to genre, since this is the best way to ensure that the advert reaches a demographic that would be interested in the product. 

Below are some examples of magazine adverts...