Magazine advertisement analysis: Florence and the machine

First of all, this ad follows most of the conventional layouts of most other magazines ads, however, it does have some other unique ways of selling the album by what information it presents. This magazine advertisement is very similar to the album it refers to as its selling point. I

think the idea of this is so that when a buyer goes to purchase the item they know exactly what it looks like so that they buy the right album. On the front, you can see the title of the album underlined with the name of the band above. At the bottom, you can see in bold exactly what they are advertising and that it is not for tickets to see her show but actually about selling the album. It clearly specifies where you can buy the album, whether it be by cd or vinyl, ect. This is great as the customer and fan can choose what form they want the album in that suits the sound system they have, or to help add to their collection, this is not something often seen these days which makes this ad different from other magazine adds. Underneath the title of the album, 'Lungs', you can see the release date of the album which is key so that they know when to start looking for/ the album in retail stores. In addition, to this in the corner you can see the production company of the album which not only promotes the company, but also attracts buyers that are aware of their other work the company has helped produce and like their work, to buy the album. underneath the release date, there is some further information about some popular singles that are featured on the album to further attract fans that may not have heard of the artist, but like their singles released to take a look at the album and the other similarly styled songs within it. As a final selling point, we have the website featured at the bottom so that if a potential buyer can find the album in a local store, or specifically wants the vinyl version and that is not available in stores they can find it online and purchase it there.

The visuals in this ad a very strong as the contrast between the dark green foliage in the background compared to Florence's white skin really makes her stand out. This makes her look innocent, vulnerable and compared with the flowers in the background, feminine. This suggests that the album might be about vulnerability and overcoming it. The use of the lung prop hung around her neck and placed where they would be inside the body adds to this idea of vulnerability. This is as skin and bone is there to keep your organs safe from injury, the use of this prop could also infer something about breathing. With the foliage, in the background, it suggests that she is outside and in the fresh air. The use of the lungs could suggest that she is struggling to breathe, this is further implied by the look of pain and slight distress she has as she is looking away from the camera. This implies that even though she is in the fresh air outside she is still struggling and feels like she is open to being hurt. To an audience, the use of femininity could entice a female audience to look at and purchase the album, but also anyone who feels like they are left open to the world and weak and vulnerable, as this album could help them connect with this feeling, or even, help them overcome it. This is as one of their singles mention on the ad, 'The dog days are over' is an uplifting song about moving past obstacles and past experiences.