Ancillary Research 2: Advert Analysis 3

The third advert analysis I did was Years & Years magazine advert for their album 'Sanctify'.

Background Information

Years & Years are a British synthpop band, founded in 2010, London in the UK. Originally a five- piece group with artist Noel Leeman who left in 2013, and Oliver Subria who stayed to perform with the group for their first single "I wish I knew" which was released in 2012. The three man group consists of the lead singer, Olly Alexander and band members: Mikey Goldsworth and Emre Türkmen. The band's debut album 'Communion' became the number one on the UK Albums Chart in July 2015 and broke records by becoming the fastest-selling debut album of the year from a band that came from the UK. Their single "King" reached the top ten in the international charts in Australia, Austria, Bulgaria, Denmark, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, the Republic of Ireland and Switzerland. 

Main Image 

The main image features a grey textured background with a dark red and dark red outlined coloured text. Within an interview the main singer, Oliver Subria, explains that he made a dystopian parallel world from the one we live in. This concept is presented through the symbols that translate the English written titles to the language used in the dystopian world. The continuous connection between the song advert and the music video for this song supports the concept the group have made for their up and coming album. The title of the album and 'OUT NOW' are written in a bold font with an red outline which gives a glowing impression. Although the song release advert isn't eye catching, there is a clear colour theme that makes it aesthetically pleasing.

                                                                             Title

The title of the band is written in a dark red font that outlines the shape of 'Years & Years'. The symbolistic shapes underneath the title are centralised and were designed to have the same colour as the title of the band. The dark red separates the name of the band from the information regarding the title and release of the song. The symbols, or translations are all designed using the same dark red colour used for the name of the band, this links the symbols to the band which may explain the dystopian effect they project. 

The title of the song is written in capital, bold, black, clear font. The opposing font design used for title of the song compared to the don't used for the title of the band, separates the two and foregrounds the name of the song. The different font used for the band expresses the aesthetic and bespoke design created and associated to the band, while the bold and eye-catching font used for the name of the song attracts more attention. At the beginning of 'SANCTIFY' their is a hash tag, this becomes another way of promotion for the band. The public will use this hash tag on social media sites to attract the attention of the band which will make the hash tag begin to trend and become more popular, reaching a wider audience.

Layout

All of the text on the advert is centralised in the middle of the design. This draws attention to the middle of the advert where the information is. Because the design and colour theme of the poster is quite simple, with no image or picture of the band/ anything related to the band, the symbols underneath all of the information become the design. The shapes, which appear to translate or stand for the words on the advert are aligned in a central position under the information found on the poster.

Font

There are only two fonts used in this advert. The design used for the name of the band creates a 3D appearance making it stand out from the page. It is also the only text written in a wiry-red font which enables it to stand out from the rest of the information, symbolising the individuality and personal design that represents the band. The title of the song is written in bold, capital lettering, placed in the centre of the advert, it draws attention from the audience, showing a clear indication to the name of the song. 'OUT NOW' and 'LISTEN ON THE TODAY'S HITS PLAYLIST' are also written using the same font used for the name of the song. Although written in smaller font, the subtitles inform the audience on the appropriate information.

Colour Scheme

The colour theme for this advert consist of bold and royal colours. The light grey neutralises the background, while a dark blue and bright red boarder outline the poster. The black colour is used in the font, with the darker red outlining the black. The dark red is also used for the name of the band and the symbols written underneath each heading, sub heading and minor heading. The boldness of the black contrasts with the lighter background while the brighter reds and blues add a second texture to the advert without distracting the audience away from the information.