analysis of 2 digipaks in my genre
This digipak is by the arctic monkeys- whatever people say I am, that's what I'm not. This was a debut album, which meant it was very important at the time, for the band to make an impression on their audience. This definitely came across through the images used in the digipak.
The colour scheme of this digipak is very bland (black and white) and almost shows that as a band, they have nothing to hide. They aren't pretending to be someone that they're not, and are instead just showing they're ordinary guys, not enveloped by fame. Additionally, this colour scheme mirror's the rather dark subject matter of the songs, which juxtapose with the typical boy meets girl romantic song, and tackles real life issues, like street violence and poverty.
it's interesting how the front and the back cover link together, with the back cover showing the man crying, with the cigarette in his hand. This juxtaposes with the confidence shown in the front cover picture, and may suggest the content of the songs on the album have more sensitive subject matter. This may also be the Arctic Monkeys, once again, showing how they are humans too, and aren't immune to the emotional struggles that everyone else goes through, relating to the indie rock genre.
The arctic monkeys are trying to be relatable in the images, they're shown to be working class, smoking a cigarette, scruffy beard look etc, and this is reflected in the colour scheme, which appears down to earth, not too outlandish. He also doesn't have any makeup on, and is wearing a plain white shirt. The use of a cigarette as a prop also gives the Arctic Monkeys a rebellious image, which, especially for a debut album, gives off a strong image right off the bat. This is influenced as it is paired with direct adress to the audience, with an almost smug look from the man's face. The digipak definitely has a depressing feel to it, with no positive connotations really, and this differs from the majority of digipaks, who want positive connotations with their audience, however the Arctic Monkey's are showing that they stand out in this way. This cigarette also tells the audience that their music isn't for kids, as it contains swearing, as well as drug and alcohol references. The fact fact that the whole CD is an ashtray, is an interesting touch, and again, highlights the realism the arctic monkeys want to portray. Once again, this relates to the indie rock genre, as they don't have to censor themselves with an independent record label, with their themes, like they would with a conglomerate like Sony.
The arctic monkeys are trying to be relatable in the images, they're shown to be working class, smoking a cigarette, scruffy beard look etc, and this is reflected in the colour scheme, which appears down to earth, not too outlandish. He also doesn't have any makeup on, and is wearing a plain white shirt. The use of a cigarette as a prop also gives the Arctic Monkeys a rebellious image, which, especially for a debut album, gives off a strong image right off the bat. This is influenced as it is paired with direct adress to the audience, with an almost smug look from the man's face. The digipak definitely has a depressing feel to it, with no positive connotations really, and this differs from the majority of digipaks, who want positive connotations with their audience, however the Arctic Monkey's are showing that they stand out in this way. This cigarette also tells the audience that their music isn't for kids, as it contains swearing, as well as drug and alcohol references. The fact fact that the whole CD is an ashtray, is an interesting touch, and again, highlights the realism the arctic monkeys want to portray. Once again, this relates to the indie rock genre, as they don't have to censor themselves with an independent record label, with their themes, like they would with a conglomerate like Sony.
The images on the digipak haven't been digitally altered. Once again, this supports the fact that they are down to earth guys, and aren't sugar coating life.
The font that the Arctic Monkeys use, On the label "Arctic Monkeys" is iconic at this point, and people immediately associate it with the Arctic Monkeys. The Flicks of the M and the K could maybe resemble the tail of a monkey, which would have a sort of cheeky, playful connotation, associating the group with funny, care free vibes. But this would juxtapose with the more depressing aesthetics of the digipak. This, along with the more "Comic sans-esque" childish style of the writing, makes it clear the Arctic monkeys don't take themselves too seriously, especizlly since the name isnt capitalised. This humble nature is more of a British trait too, especially with the Arctic Monkeys growing up in working class Sheffield, and so they come to represent this identity as a whole.
Ultimately I think that the digipak of "Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not" appeals to the Arctic Monkeys target audience, of male teens to young adults. Not that I think they're all addicted to tobacco, although this might be true in some cases. The appeal comes in the rebellious nature of the digipak, with the cigarettes and the cocky looking man giving direct address. Teens, with the rebellious natures that they possess, will be sucked into this rebellious attitude, and be appealed to the band's brand image. Additionally, the care free nature of the Arctic Monkeys, with the emotion and the lightheartedness, will win over fans who like the "one of us" mentality.
The font that the Arctic Monkeys use, On the label "Arctic Monkeys" is iconic at this point, and people immediately associate it with the Arctic Monkeys. The Flicks of the M and the K could maybe resemble the tail of a monkey, which would have a sort of cheeky, playful connotation, associating the group with funny, care free vibes. But this would juxtapose with the more depressing aesthetics of the digipak. This, along with the more "Comic sans-esque" childish style of the writing, makes it clear the Arctic monkeys don't take themselves too seriously, especizlly since the name isnt capitalised. This humble nature is more of a British trait too, especially with the Arctic Monkeys growing up in working class Sheffield, and so they come to represent this identity as a whole.
Ultimately I think that the digipak of "Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not" appeals to the Arctic Monkeys target audience, of male teens to young adults. Not that I think they're all addicted to tobacco, although this might be true in some cases. The appeal comes in the rebellious nature of the digipak, with the cigarettes and the cocky looking man giving direct address. Teens, with the rebellious natures that they possess, will be sucked into this rebellious attitude, and be appealed to the band's brand image. Additionally, the care free nature of the Arctic Monkeys, with the emotion and the lightheartedness, will win over fans who like the "one of us" mentality.
This digipak, by Franz Ferdinand, is also a debut album, meaning that first impressions will be very important. Franz Ferdinand are also owned by Domino records, yet their digipak varies greatly. 
The front cover for Franz Ferdinand is very simplistic, with just the name of the band. The simplicity of it does make it stand out however, especially in a music store, where it would differ to other, more complex digipak designs. The contrasting colours, with white and yellow on the black background, also makes the name stand out. The fact their's nothing else on the front is very straight and to the point, and it makes the audience focus directly on the name of the album and nothing else, and this would help immensely on a debut album, where they would want to build a following. This is similar to to "Whatever people say I am, that's what I'm not" in this way, because it doesn't want to make a big deal over itself.Additionally, you could argue that the angle of the text, along with the yellow bar, symbolises a guitar, at the angle it is held, as guitar riffs are a key part of the indie rock formula.
The font is fairly simplistic, similar to the digipak design.
the band/artistes arent on the cover, but they are on the disk. The black and white affect on the band is the same as in their music video "Take me out" and this would be some intertextuality between the cd and the YouTube music video. This affect is used to distinguish the 2 disks from each other, with white on black, and black on white. because they aren't on the front cover, it suggests that the personality of Franz ferdinand, comes second to the music that they put out, and this desire to make amazing music is strongest in the indie genre of music.
The image of Franz Ferdinand on the digiopak, may cause the target audience to think of them as fun, as they're there performing with their guitars. The affect of the contrasting colours on the band, may seem fairly weird and quirky, fitting in with the feel of the indie rock genre.
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