AT: Magazine Ad analysis

Before we created the magazine advert for our CD cover we wanted to do some research into what is already out there and how magazine adverts work as well as what is needed on them. In this post I have looked at several magazine adverts and looked at the different aspects that go into them as well getting inspiration and ideas for our own.


HIM - Down and Out - Kerrang Magazine

The ad, which came from ‘Kerrang’ magazine, is advertising the band HIM and their collector’s addition DVD and CD compilation ‘Down and out’. The ad features a picture of the album, details to what it includes, when it’s released and where it was filmed. The ads layout is very symmetrical which makes is pleasant on the eye and easy to look at. This will help when drawing attention to it because readers like to know where to look first rather then having lots of information just thrown at them in no order.

The first thing you see on the advertisement is the bands name. Their name is the boldest text there and is in the style that the band has used for the rest of the albums/promotion work. This keeps with the image of the band. This is the most eye catching aspect of the page because it shows the reader straight away what the ad is about.


The reader would notice that and be instantly drawn to the ad to see what it is advertising. This makes the reader interested and when they read what its advertising it gets them wanting the CD/DVD compilation which would result in sales which is the reason for the add.

The artwork is of a black crow perched on a microphone. The black crow has many representations but one of the more obvious connotations of it is death. By having the black crow on top of the microphone this could show that HIM feel that the death of music is upon us. This could represent HIM’s view on the rest of the music world. Another thing that this could represent is the content of the music, which is very dark and depressing. Finally it could just be there because the band likes the image with no direct connotations.



The advertisement features a heartagram behind the album artwork. This is the bands symbol and it was created by the front man, Ville Valo. It is interpreted in several ways. Usually the pentagram part represents hate where as the heart represents love. Ville describes it as a ying-yang situation. It can also be seen to represent a love of metal; the band is a metal band so that is pretty self explanatory. A fan of the band would see this symbol and no that it represents HIM.

The colour scheme for this ad is dark colours. The colours that are on the album cover are mainly a dark blue and black. A lighter blue/white has also been used for things such as the writing and the heartagram. These are aspects that need to stand out and be easy for the reader to see. The dark colour scheme could connote the dark music that it is advertising; it will instantly tell the audience you are not going to get a happy pop song. It can also represent males. This could be because the band is full of males but it could also because the metal scene is a very male dominated music area and so this advertisement is appealing to its male fans.

At each side of the picture of the album shows what the CD and DVD include. This is a good advertising trick because it allows the reader to know exactly what is on there instead of having to do further research to find out. It is also good because it could include something particular fans really want to see. This will then lead them to buy it because it has it on the CD. It could also entice people who are not yet HIM fans to buy it because it could have something on there that appeals to them.

Below the HIM banner is information about where the CD/DVD has been recorded. This also features on the album photo but it is in a small font so people would not notice it. By recreating it in a larger style it grabs people’s attention. Fans who would not normally by this CD/DVD may buy it because they were at the venue where it was recorded. By giving the extra piece of information it allows another level of interest to the compilation which will hopefully result in sales.

Underneath the album it tells the reader other offers such as a collector’s edition of the compilation and signed posters. The collector’s addition which includes a limited edition flipbook will create more of a buzz around this CD. This is because it will seem like a private club that only so many people are allowed in. The real HIM fans will want to own the flipbook because not many people will be able to. It creates more excitement and gives the reader another reason to buy it. The flipbook ad directs readers to the HIM store. Once a reader is on the HIM store they will usually look at other things before finding what they want, this could create more sales and means that the advertisement is working in another way, to advertise two things at once.

The chance to win a poster signed by the band fetches again another level of exclusivity. Fans and readers will love the idea of owning a signed anything. This is a deal if you pre-order the CD which more people will do because they have a bigger incentive. It gives them another reason to buy the CD. People who can’t make their minds up may decide to buy it just because of this promotional idea.

Another feature on the page is the release date. This is a different colour and fits in with the background more. It is harder to read and I think this is done because they want the reader to see everything else first. If the reader sees the release date is not in the immediate future they may not read the rest of the ad because they will think they can find out about it nearer the time. Unfortunately this could mean they forget all about it. By allowing the reader to read the entire white writing first which includes promotional incentives and information about the CD the reader will be interested and wanting to buy it, they will not care if it’s out now or in a month’s time.

Although the genre of music is very different to Feeder there are many points to take away from this ad. The colour scheme can echo the genre of the music as well as the genre of its audience. For the ad to look good it must follow the same art work/theme that the album you’re promoting does this keeps continuity and does not confuse a reader to this you’re advertising something different. Finally you need to draw attention to important aspects such as the bands name, promotional ideas and what is on the CD/DVD.

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My Son The Bum - Are We There Yet? - Kerrang Magazine

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Foo Fighters - Kerrang Magazine

This is very simple clean idea. It is very different to the first ad that I have looked at but it shows a different route we could take. Each ad features roughly the same information the layout and style is all that is different. By looking at the different ads we can get more ideas as to what to do for our ad.

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All of the ads that I have looked at are from 'Kerrang' magazine. I picked ads from this magazine as it is the magazine that is most likely to feature an ad promoting Feeder.