Question 2: How effective is the combination of your main products

and ancillary texts?Magda Cassidy

In order for my main product and ancillary texts appear as if they belong

together, I needed to create a consistent brand identity that built on the artist in

the video.

I began by thinking about brand image.

Collection of brand images. Source: http://tos8.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/brand_snap.jpg

What is a brand?

A brand is something we see everyday, in adverts on television, on shelves at the supermarket and in our homes! It is the image we link to a particular product, e.g. Fair Trade’s Blue and Green circle logo, and Kellog’s red ‘K’.

Having a strong brand image is the pathway to business success, as customers will remember what your ‘product’ looks like, and the image is often designed to appeal to a certain type of person, and draw them to buy the product. Here are some examples of popular brands we see in day-to-day life.

Nike’s ‘tick’ design suggest correctness, Nike is the ‘right’ place to shop. The simple, smooth design is cool and appeals to young consumers, and it’s reliability appeals to parents and older consumers.

The simple colours in the Topshop logo makes the brand appear cool and chic, while the dots in the background keep the label looking young, fresh and feminine, appealing to females in their late teens.

Branding also plays a vital part in the media industry. It is highly important for an artist to have a clear brand

image that makes them memorable and unique, especially in a competitive genre like pop music.

Take Ellie Goulding for example…

As you can see from the images in the previous slide, Ellie Goulding’s album and

single covers all look consistent, even though they have been produced at different times. Repetition and consistence is important so that the audience have a firm image of the

artist. The same images being used again and again means that we are constantly reminded

that this artist is out there…

Ellie’s ethereal image is something audiences associate as being ‘her’, so all the images of her on her covers are very thoughtful, her hair blowing behind her as if she’s just been flying, and expression serene and tranquil. Her name appears in the same font style on every cover, and the album/song names always appear below in a smaller, glowing font. Interestingly, many of the song titles are related to the theme of light – something I touched upon when producing my products, particularly with the starry sky on the back of the digipak, and the use of colour grading on the video to give the appearance of interesting light.

To tie in with the theme of light, the images of Ellie are lit interestingly, and there are little golden lights all around her, again giving her an ethereal appearance. This reinforces her image, which is specially crafted to appeal to her fans.

Of course, not all brand images are as poignant as Ellie Goulding’s, some

bands and artists simply have a logo or ‘look’ that is associated with them.

What is my brand image?

The brand image I tried to create was of a ‘quirky, home grown girl’ from the North of England. I tried to represent this across all the products by making them simple, artistic, fun but quite down to earth and meaningful. I wanted the brand image to reinforce the style of an acoustic/folk artist, and I feel the image I created fits the genre well. I also tried to keep the seaside theme apparent in all the products for continuity.

How this image was constructed using media language:

In the video…Hair blowing in the wind, simple dress, and not very much makeup emphasises the folky/quirky artist’s image. The bright lighting makes the artist look young and fresh.

The song has a meaning, which compliments the acoustic style where songs need to be deep and interesting.

The multiple shots of the seaside setting throughout the video reinforce the ‘outdoors’ quality that is a prominent part of an acoustic folk image.

Costume is again simple, but trendy, the sort of outfit that the mid to late teenage audience would identify with. Again promotes the simple and ‘non pretentious’ brand image – the artist is just being herself.

This particular shot promotes the brand image in two ways; firstly because it shows the artist in her own clothes having fun and messing around, to make her seem like a ‘normal’ person that the audience would identify with, and secondly, it shows off the artist’s guitar playing, giving the video an element of performance, keeping it true to the acoustic folk style.

Grey colouration towards end of song reflects the greying mood as the song finishes. This reinforces the songs moral that you shouldn’t change yourself to get someone to notice you. This again promotes the acoustic style of having a moral.

Close up of the character’s face shows her upset – making the video emotive.

How this image was constructed using media language:

In the ancillary tasks…Blue scrunched paper background and seagulls repeated in the products for a seaside image associated with the artist’s image, and for continuity.

Cartoony sketch on paper reinforce the simplistic brand image of the artist.

Collage supports seaside town image.

Parallel of day and night links to the outdoors/and nature. Clouds and stars suggest dreaming and wishing, suggesting artist is wistful.

How effective is the combination?Overall, I think the combination of my video and print work is effective. I think the acoustic/folk style is promoted across all the products, supported by the clear brand identity of the artist. The products all look as if they have been made to be ‘together’, but at the same time they look different and interesting. The audience feedback I received suggests our audience also think the brand image is effective:

“It’s clear that they are promoting an artist and album; however, they are unusual enough to make them interesting, and suggest that the artist’s music will be original, perhaps slightly quirky, and not ‘run-of-the-mill’ commercial fodder. There is an image of the artist, and a background that gives an indication of the subject matter.”

On brand image…

“Quirky, folky, parochial. There is a strong sense of the North of England; typically British things such as stains from cups of tea are subtly included to give the poster a ‘northern’ feel. It also feels summery because of the seaside colours and overall brightness.”

“Thoughtful, intelligent quirky songwriter commenting on everyday life. I get this impression from the tissue paper sky, seagulls on strings and the semi-derelict representation of Blackpool.”