LB: Print Analysis - Advert

The Streets Advert Analysis

Genre & Representation:

•  The Streets are UK Garage band from Birmingham. They are well known for such tracks as "Dry Your Eyes" and "Fit But You know It". The advert for one of their latest singles, 'Blinded By The Lights' is conventional of the genre. This is due to a number of reasons.  
• The reason I chose to analyse this advert is that is is very similar to some of Bloc Party's own adverts and album covers in that they are often very simple and minimalistic. As well this, this advert can be found in an edition of NME, recognised more often as magazine for indie music.

• Firstly the image denotes five sombre lighters, which are also shaped to look like shotgun shells which connotes violence, anger and fear. 
• In addition to this, the lights are also the logo of the band incorporating the bands image as well as building on a consistent yet ever developing meta-narrative. 
• When I researched some similar artists like Jamie T or The Prodigy, there were some similarities between the adverts. One of which being that each of the adverts feature one significant striking image creating enigma.

Media Language:

• A few visual techniques have been employed when developing this Print work for The Streets. To begin with, when considering colour, the advert uses two contrasting colours, black and white. This allows the image to stand out with little need for additional detail to draw a readers attention.
• Another technique used is lighting and shadows, which is shone from just offset from directly above the lighters. This techniques, suggests to the reader, that they are the one's looking over the light, as if they were choosing which one to pick. 
• One last technique to mention is repetition. Due to the minimalistic nature of this print work, it does not utilise many methods, however whilst it remains simple, it repeatedly displays the bands name along with its logo, almost like subliminal messaging, persuading the reader to buy the album.

Institution & Audience:

• The print here would be consumed through texts such as in newspapers, music or entertainment magazines, some of which magazines would be more focused on similar genres either to appeal to the long time fans of The Streets or to draw in new fans who can relate or enjoy this genre. Other media texts such as newspapers may be used to raise awareness to potential new fans or consumers who have never heard of the band or even the genre.