Reprise Record’s The Used, an American alternate rock/metal four-piece are all set for the launch of their fifth album. Fitting in to many sub-genres of rock there is no surprise the magazine advert for their new album ‘Artwork’ appears to be blood-ridden.
Taking up the top half of an a4 page (landscape). The dominant colour, being a white background makes the red and black colour scheme stand out like a sore thumb. A large Serif font is used for the band name and album name giving an air of sophistication in regards to the title(s). Not only does this appear to add class but it identifies the artist and album name right away for a reader, they no exactly what it is they are looking at from their initial glance.
A second font is used for the rest of the text. This font is bold and of Sans Serif variety. Around the edges this font appears rough and sketchy relating to the rawness and harsh feel to the genre.
The remainder of the text informs the reader of the release date, available platforms (CD, download, DVD), links with iTunes, T-shirts, online video footage. The availability of the single ‘Blood On My Hands’ through the use of iTunes, and the reference to the ‘uncensored video’ on Facebook are examples of cross-media convergence, whereby the record company Reprise Records amongst iTunes and Facebook have diversified in order to produce and distribute across more than one are of media.
The main image, and what one assumes is the album cover sits opposite the band name and majority of the text on the opposing side of the page. The image is has been rotated so that it is on a slight angle creating a quirky feel. The image shows a pair of hands; someone is carving the word ‘work’ into their left forearm with an authentic syringe whose contents is the word ‘Art’. The image has been enhanced so that the prominent colours are dark reds and yellows against an almost jet black background.
The black of the background merges beyond the border of the image spilling on to the white of the advert. I use the word spilling as it actually appears as if a black substance has been splashed onto the page. This has connotations of blood relating to the image in the picture, but also to that of ink also with the album name being Artwork.
A circular ‘sticker’ if you like overlaps with the picture and the rest of the advert, advertising the limited editions of the album and single which are available at a specific website. The website address is in a yellow font as opposed to white in which the rest of the text is written. This highlights the important details the audience require if keen to purchase the single or album.
The circle is red, we definitely think this is blood, as the edges have been created so that it looks like a bloodstain; the edges have run as if a drop of blood has recently made contact with the page.
A reference to the band’s website and the record labels logo are situated in the bottom right corner of the page. This is further advertisement and acknowledgment of other media platforms.
To conclude this is a very simple yet affective advert. A simple colour scheme catches one’s eye and relates to the concept of the piece very well. The use of bloodstains and rough fonts are no surprise for an artist of the rock/metal genre with constant connotations of death, darkness and all things satanic at large.
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