Notably, the CD presents the In contrast to the brightness

The bold white font incorporated is consistently used in each of

colour orange as its central of the colour orange, a use
Ed Sheerans CDs in order to link the albums together as a
colour which could link to of high key lighting on the
collective to enforce their importance. Through having a font
the artists iconic red hair singer in fact allows
that is recognised, it allows the audience to associate the font
that establishes him as a shadows to be cast on his
with the singer and leads to future recognition from the
unique artist and is a key face within the close-up
audience. This could also be shown through his use of the paw
element of his appearance which could suggest darker
print as part of his logo which is Eds signature symbol used in
that his audience are able to elements within his music
every logo and album as it continues to ensure recognition.
recognise. This implies that with themes such as
Moreover, the paw print also links to his guitar as the paw print
the colour was selected in heartbreak or a lack of
is located on it which creates a personal yet also authentic
order to appeal to his target identity. For instance, the
representation of the CD by linking to his personal possessions.
audience of his followers song A Team consists of
The paw print could also be a symbol of his love for music as
who mostly consist of darker themes such as drug
well as the length of time he has pursued it since it has been on
teenagers in order that they abuse which may link to the
his guitar since the start of his career. This may make the
recognise the artist. Not darker colours within the
audience feel special through the way in which they recognise
only this, but the colour image. Shadows are also
the logo and its reference to the artist himself. The overall
orange is a vibrant colour associated with the idea of
colour white in this font also stands out in the album in order to
which ensures that the CD concealing identity which
make the singers name eye-catching so that the audience are
stands out on shelf as by may imply that the artist
more likely to understand whose album it is; this is significant as
making it eye-catching, it has darker elements to his
one of the key selling points of the album is the singer himself
may ensure that it can be personality or that he has
and their intended target audience consists of his fans so this is
singled out or noticed more elements of himself that are
an important convention for a CD to emphasise the name of the
easily. Moreover, the further explored
artist.
vibrant colour also connotes throughout the lyrics of his
a happier element to the music. In some respects,
music since vibrant colours this appeals to his audience
often link to happiness and who may be personally
excitement so this makes invested in the artist and
the music itself fit well into may anticipate uncovering
the genre conventions of elements of him not
pop which mostly uses previously known. In
bright colours to reflect the contrast, the high key
upbeat element of their lighting connotes a more
music. happy emotion which may
As well as the suggest more uplifting
logo and paw music types being
print, the plus The front CD cover consists of a close-up of the artists face which not only incorporated as well as
sign in the ensures recognition from the audience to ensure they associate the music even potentially referencing
corner of the with the artist himself, but it also draws in the viewer by allowing them to the spotlight pressure of
image is also a recognise the artist so that they buy the product. This would especially fame on the singer since the
logo associated appeal to the main target audience of Ed Sheerans fans since they are more lights on his face seem
with the singer likely to purchase the product if it features the face of the artist. blinding. This could be a
as his branding Furthermore, through this close-up it could also be emphasising the way in connotation of the way in
typically uses which the music is personal to the artist as the close-up allows the audience a which the artist may be
numeracy closer insight of the singers face which connotes that the singer is revealing revealing the issues with
symbols such as his identity to the audience through his music. As well as this, this enforces fame as expressed through
in his recent one the artists connection with his music by having his face as the central focus the shadows it creates
called Divide. of the cover in order to emphasise how the music revolves his experiences within his face that may be
This also allows and emotions which makes it seem sentimental to the artist himself. The way suggested in his music.
recognition from in which the artist is looking directly into the camera enforces the connection Through this lighting, it
the audience with his audience by emphasising the way in which he is exposing his true self makes the CD seem more
and it also to his audience; it makes the audience feel like the artist is aiming his music in-depth and personal to
allows the album at them as individuals. Interestingly, his lack of facial expression within the the artist which allows it to
to seem unique image could even be a selling point in terms of the curiosity it evokes since it be appealing to his fans in
and therefore, does not reveal any theme or any indication of the type of music his target audience.
stand out. incorporated which ensures that the audience looks at the back of the CD or
purchases the music in order to convey the music.
 The back of the album has the convention of
showing the track list which has been put in the
centre to ensure the focus is retained on them since
they are significant in terms of the purpose of a CD.
Not only does this allow the audience to actively
choose their desired music when playing the CD, but
it also allows them an insight into what songs are on
the CD so that they can decide whether to buy it.
Notably, a similar font is used for the writing as at
the front with the singers name. This could be to
enforce the artists personal connection with his
music as well as to link to the overall aesthetic of
the cover itself. Moreover, the use of the colour
white for its font also allows it to stand out so that
it is easily visible for the audience. In comparison to
the front title, however, the font is thinner which
depict a sense of gentleness within the music while
also giving it the appearance of being handwritten
which emphasises how personal it is to the singer.

The back cover also

incorporates the artists
record labels which
allow credibility for the
companies as well as
allowing the audience to
As the CD itself follows the be able to uncover more
key conventions, it has the about the artist himself.
production credits at the For Ed Sheeran they are
bottom for copyright as Asylum/ Atlantic records.
well as to give credit; this is
As well as this, Ed Sheeran has incorporated
in a small font due to its
the title of his website to allow the audience
lack of significance to his
to uncover more about the singer as well as
target audience and its
to advertise it for audience members who
black font also makes it
were previously unaware of it. This also
seem more professional
ensures that the audience can discover more
while also emphasising its
about his music to potential influence future
lack of connection to the
purchases.
music.
One of the key strengths of this digipak is its use of colour as a method of enticing the audience
through being eye-catching as well as standing out to other album covers. Not only this, but the
vibrant colours of the digipak also allow positive connotations of uplifting as well as upbeat music
which links to the pop genre effectively and therefore, appeals to his audience who consist of
teenagers and adults who prefer the pop genre. This advertises his product effectively through its
lively connotation as well as allowing the cover to look more interesting. Furthermore, it also
references his ginger hair which the audience would appeal to and it is a unique trademark of the
singer which allows further recognition from his audience. Moreover, the use of high-key lighting
also is a strength in terms of the positive representation of the music it creates since it links to the
idea of happiness. However, the fact that this lighting has deeper connotations through the way in
which it casts shadows on the singer which implies that there are darker themes within the music as
well as consequences in fame. Using this form of symbolism makes the album makes seem more
interesting by allowing there to be more depth for the audience to uncover.

On the other hand, you could argue that the name of the album Plus while being a unique
branding in terms of the use of the numeracy sign, was not bold and eye-catching enough to be a
memorable album name. In fact, due to it being in the corner, I could scarcely see it which meant
that when referencing the album, the audience may have an error in terms of identifying the album
which may harm its potential for social promotion in the future.

In terms of conventions I would incorporate within my own digipak, one of the main conventions I
would wish to involve is the use of bright colours to be distinguishable from other digipaks as this
links in with the pop genre effectively in order to appeal to my target audience who will prefer this
genre. As well as this, bright colours also allow connotations to be developed based on the theme of
the music. For instance, the colour red for an album cover could link to the themes of love or
potentially anger or even death which adds a sense of mystery to the music.

Furthermore, I would also incorporate bold writing to stand out as well as to draw the audiences
attention to the artists name. This is a key convention that needs to be incorporated within my own
piece in order to ensure that I not only advertise the music but also the artist. This would also attract
the main target audience of the artists fans by highlighting the artist name so it is clearly visible to
them.