Arctic Monkeys’ digipak analysis ALBUM USED: WHATEVER (WHATEVER PEOPLE SAY I AM THAT'S WHAT I'M NOT)

Digipak

Front Cover

The front cover for the digipak is basic when it comes to design which fits in with the target audience as the target audience doesn’t care for visual aspects but they care for the quality and originality of the music. Therefore to represent the audience and make the artist relate more to the audience they have made the design and layout pretty basic. There is also another version of the CD where the layout is slightly more detailed (includes band name and colouring is darker).

Front cover continued

The image is possibly of one of the band members (more then likely the lead singer). The shot is a medium close up which gives the lead singer more of a star image. This image depicts the typical indie conventions by showing smoking, mid-twenties male and finally it just about manages to be eye catching without it being in your face which is what the target audience wants to see. All of this is then finished off with a black and white filter. The man in the picture seems to be making eye contact with the audience (which makes the audience feel like they’re engaging with the artist). Also adding to the point I made on an earlier slide – the fact that there’s no band name, album name or anything else in the picture means there’s no distractions, so all of the focus is on the artist not on the visuals. This gives a minimalistic feel. Adding onto another point I made… The fact that he’s smoking could connote a sense of rebellion which fits in with the rock part of the genre more then the indie part.

CD design

The CD design is just as simplistic as the rest of the album which again fits in with the audience’s tastes and it also connotes that the artist didn’t care for the visuals (making a link back to the album’s name). Usually the CD would have the band name or album over it but in this case it doesn’t have that. This could be making a link back to the front cover where there is no band name or album name (keeping continuity throughout). This makes this album’s design fairly original and different which is again what the audience wants. Attention to detail is paid on the CD however as we can see every small detail of the cigarette buds and this makes a link back to the front cover with the theme of smoking. The colours again remain the same.

Back of CD case

On the reverse of the CD the simplistic design is then continued. This creates a consistent brand image. The picture takes up the entirety of the back cover and the track list is located in the top left corner in small font which makes it less of a distraction again linking to the audience’s tastes. The picture makes on obvious link to the front’s image. The artist isn’t looking directly into the camera like he was on the front of the CD, this could also connote a sense of rebellion which again fits in with the rock part of “indie rock”. The colouring used here is the same as the front cover – again creating a brand image and continuing continuity. The man’s body language could connote sadness and or depression which would fit in with the faded black colour style. This could be linking to the themes used in their songs. The whole lazy vibe this album gives off links back to the album’s title “Whatever people say I am that's what I'm not” so all of this could connote that he doesn’t care what people think of his simplistic album artwork.