LS - Deconstruction of an Advertisement

Deconstruction of Basement's Jaxx's advertisement for 'Rooty'


Genre

How is the genre of the track/artist evident?
The genre of the artist is electronic and there are a number of conventions used on the advertisement to show this. The bright colours used for a border and for the name of the band are a convention used for the electronic genre as they are reminiscent of the bright colours seen in clubs, where electronic music is mostly shown. The shapes in the border look like dancers and this is also linked to the playing of this type of music in clubs. The use of a space like background also reinforces the electronic genre as this type of image is sometimes thought of as being futuristic.


Media Language

What visual techniques are used? How is meaning generated through these techniques?
The use of colour is an important part in this advert. The bright colours used in the title and the border are reminiscent of the club scene, where this genre of music is often played. This connotes to the viewer of the advert that the music is probably upbeat due to where it is played. The pattern used on the name for the band looks like lights from a club and therefore also connotes the popularity that this music has in the club scene.

The photo of the monkey, which is positioned in the centre of the page connotes that the band do not take themselves seriously as this monkey has humorous connotation attached to it due to it seeming to have to connection with the music. Although the monkey is positioned in the centre of the page, the border on the right of the advert adheres to the rule of thirds and draws the viewer's eye to the corner where the band name starts. The background is made up of stars in a night sky, connoting once again the way that this album is linked to the club music as many people visit the clubs at night. Also the night sky seems futuristic, reinforcing the electronic genre of the band. The monkey has a branch coming out of it's mouth, connoting how just like the branch feeds the monkey, this album will feed the fan's hunger for music by the band.

What linguistic devices have been used?
The biggest font on the advert is the one used to for the name of the band. This shows that the band feel their name is more recognisable than the name of the album and therefore feel that by having the name of the band as the most prominent font on the page, people are more likely to stop and look at the advert. Below the monkey, it says that there is 'Strictly Limited Numbered Picture disc'. By including this on their advert, the band are trying to increase album sales as fans will want to have the 'special picture disc' and therefore will rush out to buy as they will worry that the limited number will sell out. The band have also included a date that they will be performing, which allows people who have viewed this advert and listened to the album to be able to see them live if they like the music. The name of the album is not a word used in everyday language, connoting the creativity of the band as they have used a word that is more abstract.

Is there any intertextuality/references to popular culture?
The use of the big monkey may be an intertextual reference to 'King Kong'. Also the use of bright colours and stripes on the band name reference the 'club' culture. The bright colours may also be an intertextual reference to children's programmes which are often perceived as fun and how the band want people to see their music as being.


Representation

How are the band/artist represented?
The band are represented as quite abstract due to the fact that nothing on the advert ties in with some type of theme. This could be because the band want their audience to see them as fun and as not conforming to the view that an advert should follow one set design. The band are also represented as believing that their music is more important than themselves as they do not include a photo of themselves on the advert.


Institution and audience

How might this print text be consumed?
Due to this text being featured in a magazine, the advert would most probably be viewed by an ambient viewer as people mostly buy magazines for the articles, rather than the adverts. However, a fan of Basement Jaxx may stop and be a focused viewer because they want to find out when the album is out or to view the advert because it has been created for their favourite band.