Swedish House Mafia magazine advert analysed

Swedish House Mafia magazine advert analysed

Representations of music artist

The artist who I have chosen to base my music video on is the artist Swedish House Mafia, as they produce dance music, which is the genre of music, which I am producing my music video on. The artist in this advert is represented as being quite bold artist. This is conveyed through the effect, which has been used on the artist, which makes them appear this way.  The artist of Swedish House Mafia are not really shown that often, as they are DJ’s and don’t really appear that much in their own music videos. The artist on the from of this tour date advert makes the artists look very metallic feel to the image, thus providing quite a very hard image. This has various connotations of itself, as it makes the artist look much sold, as the metallic which is used looks quite a lot like a metal, and with the connotations of metal being very hard, shiny, cold, and stands out a lot. This is then transferred onto the artists, as this is how they are then portrayed. This then has connotations of making the artist stand out just like the metal. Although there is another side of this metal look as the metallic feel the artists can almost perceive the artists as looking very man made, just like some type of metals are man made, and to give a metallic effect to something is also something which is man made and is not a natural process and is something which would have to be created. I found that this then links in well as is create a link as this relates the artist to their music, as their music can be man made, as one of the main sources of materials, which are used to produce their music, is technology, and DJing and using other secondary material to help them produce theirs. By putting a range of different sounds and voices into their music they are able to make it there own, but of course this then makes this process more man made. I think that this then relates back the to picture of them on their tour date advert where they look very metallic and man made like some metal. But then I think that the shape of the people then brings the idea back that these artists are still people, and the shape of people which they have in their songs and signify the vocals which they have in their music videos, this helps to progress the idea that behind their music there is a voice.  I think that the connotation of metal also comes up again, as I think that there is another way of looking at metal in relation to the artist. As raw metals are naturally sourced and this could then come into relation to the artist, conveying that they are rear, and a natural type of metal almost like they are a new artist, like a new metal with fresh music, and a new look and sound. Metal is also sourced from the ground, which conveys how natural they are and how connected they are and how down to earth they are, thus portraying how new they are like a unique new metal.  

 Connotations of the advert

I think that one of the main connotations of this advert is the statue, which the words are written on. This is clear from the positioning of the artists in the way in which they are standing, that it looks like they are posing and the colour which is used for the statue as it makes them look like a they are statues. This links in with the end of their time as a group, and this is their ‘one last tour’. Just like when legends and very famous people can sometimes get statues makes of them to mark the progresses and the changes which they may have helped make to a certain industry, so that it is there to be seen as everyone of hundreds of years to mark how important they may be to an industry or a market. This is almost like what Swedish House Mafia have done, as they have become so significant in the music industry and have had such an impact on the dance and house industry, the progress and the impact which they have had on the industry is evident through the fan base which they have generated and the more popular they have become. Then one way of them displaying themselves as being legends is by putting on a tour and this advertisements is a way of promoting themselves as legends, this would then encourage people to watch to go and watch them, as they are recognised as such legends and may think that they are so popular that they are worth going to see on tour this is mainly portrayed though the way in which they are posing. They are all standing at different angles; this is a way of displaying the different in personality and characteristics within the group. This is also a way of showing that even though they are all part of the same group they all have their own personalities and their own style. This is clear a one member is standing face on to the camera on the left hand side, while the artist in the middle has chosen not to face the camera at all, and the artist on the right, has chosen to stand side on, but has his face towards the camera. This could show a whole range of different things for example, the artist on the left may like to feature in their music videos; this idea is taken from the way he is looking directly into the camera and could therefore show out of all three members, he my like to be in the spotlight the most. The artist in the middle could be trying to portray that he is the more subtle member of Swedish House Mafia, as well as the more modest member this is shown as he is looking away from the camera. This could then portray that in comparison to the artist on the left that maybe he doesn’t really like to feature in their music videos. Then the artist on the right suggests that he too also carries his own personality, as he is standing at a different angle to the rest of his group members. Thus portraying that he likes to be recognised by his audience, this is clear as he is also looking into the camera.           

Colours and connotations 

The colours which have been used on this advert all have various different connotations. There is only one primary colour which has been used on the whole advert, and that is red. This is also the most minimal colour which has been used on the whole advert. This is because it has only been used to show which of the tour dates has sold out. One of the reasons why the colour red may have been used to convey how quick the tour dates are running and to encourage people to quickly buy their tickets. Red also stands out the most and therefore this is one of the first things which the audience would notice when they first look at the advert. This could then alter the fans which are looking at the audience that they are selling out really quickly and that they should book their tickets. This is also the brightest colour which is used on the whole poster I also think that this is used to show that the fact that the tickets are selling out fast means people should buy tickets.        

 

    One of the main colours which have been made is white and silver; I think that both of these colours help to illustrate flashing lights. This then links to the fame of Swedish House Mafia and helps to portray just how far they have come up until now; this almost acts like a snap shot of Swedish House Mafia in the fame which they are in. This makes it seem that the white lights have been generated through the flashing of a camera so this like the flash while someone’s taking a picture of them, this could be a fan or paparazzi this. This is further influenced by the way the artist are standing as they look like they are standing quite naturally, and that they are not really posing for the camera. This would then relate to them, being on tour and all the pictures, which would be taken them. The colour white then use helps to show this as when a picture is taken the flash is usually a white colour. Then the use of the colour silver which has been mixed in with then with the colour white as it helps to convey the status of the group. The colour silver could show that the group has planned this to be one of their best tours. This also shows that they have more to give as artists, and that they are just at the silver stage of their career. By choosing the colour silver, it shows that they have achieved a lot as they are better than bronze, and they have achieved silver, and that by them performing this tour they are able to achieve that gold reorganisation. The colour silver also looks very cool; this shows them as artists that they are cool artists. I think that this use of colour is just one way of them showing how good their music is.            

 Design and layout 

The design which has been used for this advert is very simple and is not to over the top. There is a few colours used, which are white, grey, silver, black and red. It’s also clear that apart form one colour which is red, which the rest of the colours are very much similar, and all blend in well together with each other. The main graphic which has been used on the whole advert is the image of all three artists. This is because the poster is promoting them and their music, therefore it makes sense to have them on the front as then without having to read the actual advert the audience or anyone who looks at the advert will know that the advert is about Swedish House Mafia. Swedish House Mafia are the type of artists which don’t normally appear in their own music video, therefore it makes a change to have such a large image of them on the front of the poster. It think another reason why they have chosen to have themselves on the front of the advert is because it would be harder for them to just put a picture of anything on the poster, as if people saw the advert in a rush, they are unlikely to realise that it is Swedish House Mafia which is on tour, because it would just be a random image. For example if they were to have one of the dogs from ‘Save The World’ in their video instead of having themselves or something just as similar to this then people wouldn’t notice that the poster was advertising them, therefore I don’t think that would be a good way for them to promote there tour, as there wouldn’t be that instant recognition of who they are, when people would initially see them. I think that the only way something like that would work would be if they had something iconic to them, which was related to there trade mark or swag as artists. For example if they had a certain something which they had appear in every video which would then become iconic to them, and would be something which would be recognised by everyone.  There is also a structure to the website this comes in the order of size through each graphic which has been used on the poster. This structure goes down in the order of the size. So the biggest graphic is the artists and they are at the top of the advert, and are the biggest products on the page. then as the advert moves down the page there is the name of the artists which is also quite big, and then the name of the tour which is bigger this is used to stress the that this is the last tour suggesting that they will not be doing another one. Below this there is then the next line of text which is telling the audience that the tickets are now on sale this too is also quite big but is much smaller than the ‘one last tour’ line of text. This is also a change in font on this section, this is very simple. Then below this there is the tour dates these are there to tell the audience where they will be playing and again this is another type of font phase, from the line of text above it. As the poster is very simple it is
 important to maintain a large range of different fronts this is to keep the poster looking interesting and make sure that it is appealing to the eye. The Structure also Like magic, the first time they are revealing themselves, showing the magic and the creators behind the music, and this links back to the idea of them being like legends and them having achieved some much at this stage of their career. It’s like they have decided that they have left their fans in suspense for long enough that now they feel that they should reveal who they are and what they look like. But even then they haven’t given too much away as they have presented themselves in a metallic form this could show that they might not want people to see exactly who they are but they want them to see the type of people they have presented themselves as. It is also like they have shown an outline of themselves, but then the inside is metallic this could show that the music is part of them and that they are so into their music that they are part of their music, just like their music has to be manmade and put together using different sounds. That is almost like them, as it takes more than one of them to create this music, so they are also a mixture of different personality, but then the metallic of it shows that they all have the same idea and want to create the same thing. The metal could also represent them as it’s like they need each other to make this good music, this is further enforced by the different angles which all of the artists are standing at.  

 White is the dominant colour, then the black is added in after, black could show where they have let their mark. And they were a blank canvas and have customised themselves to makes them different.

 

Choice of images

There is only one image which has been used on this poster. This is the image of the artists, all standing next to each other. This is a large image, which is the largest graphic which is all over the poster; this will instantly catch the attention of the audience. This is used so that the audience know who the tour is for. In the image all of the artists are all wearing jackets which look black, and they are striking their own pose, I think this is a portrayal of the artist’s personalities. The image is bigger than all of the fonts which have been used, this then gives the illusion that there’s not that much text on the poster this could then encourage people to want to read the poster. This also helps to catch the attention of the reader more than if someone was to see just a block of writing they may be less likely to want to read the advertisement. The image which is used is also quite bold and simple, this is so that it is instantly clear who the advertisement is about thus encouraging people to want to read the advertisement and find out where there ticket are on offer. There has been a very simple effect used on the artists this is the metallic effect this is used to try and connect the artists with their music and convey the group’s style through the image of themselves as their music is very manmade, this is almost how they have made themselves look.

    There is also another graphic used this could also be considered as a graphic, this is the three circles which are behind the artist’s there is one circle behind each of the artists. This is iconic to the group Swedish House Mafia as up until now in their music career this is something which Swedish House Mafia would be able to just have on its own and most people mainly fans would know what is symbolises. This is a graphic which the group has been used a lot for example on the front cover of their albums, and at the start and the end of their music videos. It is like a circle per person, this is a very simple way of conveying the artists and making themselves symbolic through using a very simple graphic. The circle very much juxtaposes the nature of the music which Swedish House Mafia produces, as to create the diverse range of music which they produce. The circles is very simple, and the music is very diverse and different this could then show that even though the music may take a range of different factors, the music which they create is simple and appeals to a mass market. This symbol has been placed behind the artists this then illustrated that each circle is used to represent each of the artists, also by having the artists on top of the circles shows which order the artists might places themselves in.        

Typography

There is a range of different fonts used on this poster even though there is very little text used on the poster itself the parts where the text is used the font varies depending on the type of information it is presenting. For example the main front which is probably seen as the most iconic in this occasion is the font which the font which the groups use to present their name and the name of their album. This is the same font which they have used from the start of their music career, this has therefore become iconic to them as well, as if someone were to see that font they would be able to make out what it means and know straight away that there could be a chance that whatever the text is about that it could be talking about could be Swedish House Mafia. This is because this is iconic to the group and is something which all the fans would be able to recognise that the advertisement is in relation to the group. On this occasion the font has been used to display the name of the group and the name of the tour, this is because after the picture this would be the next thing which people would see. The font its self is very simple, bold, sophisticated, and reflects the artist and their type of style and the type of dance music which they produce. I would say that the font that they have used is different from the typical font which is used in the dance industry. As the typical font is quite bold solid, and usually quite fun and colourful, the fonts tend to be all next together so that they are touching, and all in upper case. But the font which has been used here tends to challenge the conventions more. As there is a mixture, of thin lines and thicker ones which make up the letter this could show that they are different artists and tend to move away from the typical conventions, thus portraying that there music is more unique and made the want they want it and the way in which they know that their fans will like as well. I think this is expressed through the lettering, as the thicker lines might be the group of people and the mass amount which listen to their music. While the thinner lines convey the more of the niche which they also cater for as well as showing the individual tastes of Swedish House Mafia. This also shows how their interest in music and their rare talent manages to interest so many people which is represented through the thicker line, these lines which gradually get thicker showing how over time they have got better and better and have developed more and more fans.     

    There are then another two fonts used on this poster, these are both fairly basic, simple, conventional dance fonts, the first is thin, straight and all upper case. While the second is also thin, but looks a lot like the type of fonts which is used for the words ‘Swedish House Mafia’ in terms of the edges and so on. This makes this in a way keeps some consistency in the type of fonts which they use as even though they don’t aren’t the same they look very similar. I think that one of the reasons why the same font hasn’t been used is because this is already a very simple advertisement   so it makes it more attractive to have more than one font used on the advertisement. The last font which has been used very much conforms to the conventions of dance music as it is simple, all the letters near enough touch and it was all upper case. This is very simple as the words and the text which the font is being used is also very simple as it is just ‘TICKETS NOW ONSALE’ this is a very simple font as it is convey something very simple. This font also helps to break up the similar font on the poster.  

Style of language

The style of language which has been used is very basic, simple and easy to read. This is so that information can be passed through to the use as quickly as possible and so that they consume the information quickly. For example if this was situated at a train stations where there’s a lot of people and there is a lot of congestion people don’t have time to read a lot of information. It is also quite common for people not to want to read lots of information, as that is the type of thing which puts them off and makes them unlikely read whatever is on the poster. Therefore the amount of text which is quite limited this is so that the message can get to the user as quick as possible with them having to read that much. Also not that much text is needed just like on this advert, there is just the name Swedish House Mafia, then the name of their tour, three words telling the user that tickets are not on sale, and the dates. Other than this nothing else is needed to tell the user that the group is on tour, other than the date which is also on advertisement as well. The style of language is also very basic and straight to the point; this is so that the audience reading the advert is able to get the information they need quickly. This advert could be design for people that are always on the go, and therefore may not have a lot of time to be reading loads and loads of writing of the page.   

How does the advert promote the artist?

This is a good way of promoting the artist as it makes the audience aware that Swedish House Mafia are going on tour, and alters all fans and people who might be interested in going to see them live, and wants to know what dates are available for them to go and see Swedish House Mafia live. I think that the artists are made to look really cool, up to date, modern, and unique. This is portrayed through the metallic colours which are used on the poster which make the artist look like they are worth going to see. Then the use of the circles makes it more obvious who the advert is for and might encourage people to go and watch them live. On the advertisement there is also a list of all the available locations where people are able to go and watch the artists live. But I think something else which could also be seen as a scene of promoting an artist is the red text which says ‘sold out’ this standouts out the most I think out of most of the written towards the bottom of the text. this then tells the audience that three venues on certain dates are already sold out, this then makes the audience aware just how fast the tickets are being sold out. This could then make the audience want to book their tickets when they see just how fast the tickets are being sold out. Thus making the artist look really good as so many places have been sold out and might make people want to buy tickets themselves.   

How does it promote the music genre?

I think that the use of the dark colours help connect the poster to the dance genre. As the use of the blacks, greys, whites, and the little flicker of red helps this poster conform to the dance genre. I think this is because these are all colours which are used in clubs and most party scenes. So I think that this then helps to connect the look and theme of the poster to the dance genre. Because it is usually quite dark in clubs, which would then relate to the black, as it is usually dark in clubs and this black colour has been used, which helps to relates to parties and people going out. I think that this also relates to when people go to party islands and they go out at night when it’s dark to parties and clubs. The black also relates to the unknown which comes with going to a party and having a good time when people don’t know what the night holds; just like people don’t know what is going to happen which then relates to the black colour and the unknown which the colour black and darkness of a party. I then think that the colour white relates to the stereotypical dance conventions of fun videos and bright colours which are often used, for example on David Guetta CD there is a lot of white used on the front; it also helps to connect the conventional dance genre. As white is a very fun and bright, I think that this then helps to balance out the black and the white which is used on the poster. I also think that the white also conforms to the conventions of a stereotypical dance video where the video is based on more of a dance routine type of video. I think the red can be related to the strobe lights in clubs as well as the bright colourful outfits which get worn by men and women when they go out. I think that other conventions used might be the use of the one of the fonts which were used to convey the dance genre, and is something which is often seen on dance related signs.    

How does it attract the target audience?

I think that one way that Swedish House Mafia has attracted their audience is through the use of the images of themselves. As this would then encourage people to want to buy tickets to go and see them live as the image of them is more like a taster which illustrates how good they are live and that people should really good and see them live. I also think that the words ‘sold out’ also attracts the audience a little bit more as it brings it home o the rest of the audience which hasn’t already booked tickets, to go out and book then before they all run out. I also think that the choice of wording and the size of the font used helps to convey that this is the last chance which anyone is going to get to see Swedish House Mafia live ever because I think that the word ‘Last’ suggest that this is the last tour which they will be going on tour but if this is the last time that they will be going to tour. I think that this will be the last opportunity that people would get to go and see Swedish House Mafia and would therefore attract the audience to go and see Swedish House Mafia on tour. 

This is the advert from my chosen artist which is ‘Swedish House Mafia’ I have analysed the advert and have looked at the connotations of the advert and how this relates to the artist. I have also looked at what the artists want to show about themselves and how they have done this through the varied use of colours, designs, choice of fonts and through images as well. I have discussed how this makes the artist conform to the conventions of dance and what devises they have used to do this.