DIGIPAK RESEARCH
Ariana Grande, My Everything - 2014
This digipak is by Ariana Grande for her album 'My Everything' which was released in 2014. Ariana Grande is a solo artist who's songs are in the pop genre - this is also the genre of my music video.
The front cover is quite plain, simple and basic which looks quite sophisticated and professional. The background of the front cover is all one, plain colour of lilac which looks calm but, because of the light colour, it keeps the audience feeling happy - pop songs are generally happy and uplifting. Although the plain colour may seem quite basic, the fact that the artist, Ariana, is placed in the middle of the front cover, it keeps it from looking dull and boring and brings the audiences' eye to her, making her the centre of attention which is another typical convention of pop songs - the artist is always the centre of attention. This is also a good way of advertising the album as people are likely to know the artist and see her on the front cover of this CD, therefore they are more likely to buy it. The text shown on the front cover is very simple yet sophisticated which doesn't necessarily grab people's attention to the front cover as they may struggle to read it however it creates a more girly, pretty effect which is useful for Ariana's target audience - her audience generally consists of teenage girls. Ariana's pose also relates to and may reflect the title of the album which is 'My Everything' - from a first impression, it sounds like this may be about a relationship who was 'her everything' and her pose also gives this impression as doesn't have a very happy looking expression on her face, she looks as if she is missing someone. Overall, the front cover looks professional but cute at the same time.
The actual CD from this digipak gives quite a quirky look from the shadows which may be representing the artist's personality as she is a pop singer or it could be representing the songs on the album. However, it still manages to look professional at the same time which may contribute to the pricing to show the audience are getting what they pay for. The CD also shows the artist's face which will attract her fans as they know who is and will want to support her as they are her fans and enjoy her music.
The back cover is a similar colour to the front cover and the CD also has this colour on it which makes the whole digipak relate and combine with each other so the audience can clearly see it is all apart of the same product and is visually pleasing which helps to advertise the product. The text on the back cover is black and small which may be difficult to read however it looks pretty and girly which is perfect for Ariana's target audience.
Fifth Harmony, 7/27 - 2016
This digipak is by Fifth Harmony for their album '7/27' which was released in 2016. Fifth harmony is a girl band who's songs are in the pop genre - this is also the genre of my music video.
The front cover shows lots of bright colours which is typical for pop music and pop artists as they represent happiness and fast beat songs - this is typically what pop songs are about so it fits perfectly. The background of the front cover is of a nice looking location which looks like they're on top of a mountain with the view behind them, the weather is also sunny with bright blue skies. The weather also represents happiness as sunshine is used to show this whereas if it's raining and cloudy it feels gloomy and represents sadness. The nice view gives the overall front cover a better, more professional look and shows they've given thought about it instead of taking a picture in front of an unsatisfying, ugly looking environment. The fact that they've done this could be to reflect the songs on the album, showing that they are happy, with a fast beat and uplifting which is very typical for pop songs. The text is in black and white and the name of the album is separating the band name however the fact that the colours link together makes it obvious to the audience which is the band name and which is the album name. The text looks simple yet professional which is visually pleasing to the audience and contributes to the advertising of the product as people are more likely to buy it. The actual band is also placed in the centre of the front cover which is useful because this is their album and this grabs their fans attention because they are able to see them and know it's their album so they may buy it to support the band. The band are wearing glamorous outfits which shows they are important and perhaps reflects the songs of the album to show that they are inspiring, especially as the poses of the band members make them look powerful. Also, the fact that they are in the centre of the front cover grabs the audience's attention as they are the centre of attention.
The back cover of this album is very plain, simple and basic as it only has the name of the songs on it. The background of the front cover continues onto the back cover which makes it obvious to the audience it is apart of the same digipak and all links together. The band members are also still on the back cover as it is their album however the fact that they are blurred out brings the attention more to the names of the songs. The white text makes the writing stand out and clear to read against the bright background which is useful for the audience.