Promotional Album Advert Analysis 1

This is a poster promoting Madonna’s new greatest hits album entitled “Celebration”. The poster seems to be located in a train station which could be because of who the advert is targeting. For example, many people would use the train station to travel to work. Therefore, the poster could be trying to sell the album to an older audience. Also adults would be most familiar with her music, particular her older songs from when she was most famous in the 1980s. This could also relate to the design of the poster which is intended resemble pop art, which was also famous in that era.

The use of vibrant colours also represents the 1980s retro style which the target audience could relate to as they would be the most familiar with this time. The use of bold and striking colours would also strongly contrast against the dull and dingy location of the train station, making the poster stand out. This is particularly emphasised on the colours used on her face which could relate to the album name, “Celebration”, as her makeup reflects a party atmosphere and relates to her style of music. However the background of the poster is faded in colour, giving it an old appearance which could relate to the age of some of her more well-known songs. The background could also be designed to look like a newspaper with hints of writing beneath Madonna. This could be representing her dominance in the media, especially in the 1980s, as she is covering the entire background which creates emphasis.

The writing on the poster is designed to look like graffiti, which links to the pop art theme. The text is also surrounded by brightly coloured paint splatters linking to the use of graffiti in streets, especially in the 1980s. This also represents Madonna’s music in this time as being rebellious. The text on the poster is capitalised and looks as if it has been stamped onto the poster, this could be highlighting the artists importance and therefore creating an impression on the audience.

The main focus of the poster is the image of Madonna because she is the selling point and she is easily recognised by a variety of audiences. The poster seems to aim to not only sell the album, but the artist as well. This is mainly shown through the amount of emphasis on Madonna and little reference to the album itself. The image of Madonna appears to be based on Marilyn Monroe, who both cultural icons in that era and also relatable to particularly an older audience. This also highlights the familiarity of Madonna as she is now a household name. Therefore, a very limited amount of text is used on the poster and there is no examples of some of her most famous songs as audiences would be aware of her music.