Sophie's DigiPak Analysis

MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR - THE BEATLES

The Digipak that I have chosen to analyse 'Magical Mystery Tour' by The Beatles, which I chose because The Beatles are one of the earliest and most iconic examples of rock music. I think that this digipak contains a lot of diverse images and colours, which makes it a good example to analyse.

The front cover of the Digipak shows the band (John, Paul, George and Ringo) in various animal costumes which ties in with the name of the album, as it is quite abnormal. The cover uses very bright colours and has a sort of cartoon-ish theme. The album title is presented in a bold, bubble font and is filled with rainbow colours that make the title look as if it is jumping off of the box. The band's name is also presented in a whimsical way as it is spelt out using bright yellow, cartoon stars. The background of the photograph shows multicoloured stars falling around the band and the album itself uses a mixture of bright orange and turquoise. This creates a colour clash that is very eye-grabbing for the audience and gives connotations of magic. The band have also chosen to include the songlist on the front in an obscure font, as well as on the back of the box, where it is presented in a plain, black font - this makes it easier to read. There are further photographs of the band throughout the digipak - they are located on the inside sleeves and the accompanying booklet, as well as being drawn on the back of the pack in cartoon form. This gives the CD a sort of brand identity as it shows The Beatles iconic style, showing the audience who the artist is from the outset. There is also a very plain inside sleeve which is simply white with a photo of an apple in the centre. This advertises the record label to the audience by making it easy to see and using a logo.

The CD itself is black but includes a rainbow gradient outline, which ties in with the overall presentation of the album. It also includes a tracklist, the band's name and the album title in a plain white font which stands out against the black background and also adds an extra reminder to the audience of the artist and their music.

The text and images compliment eachother well because they all give off a sense of a 'Magical' journey. A rainbow of colours is used as well as cartoon doodles and fonts which adds to this mystical feel and gives it a sort of entertaining, circus-like feel. A range of fonts are used throughout, which gives the presentation a more jumbled, fun feel which makes the album appear somewhat like an old children's cartoon (though it is not necessarily aimed at children but moreso to an adult audience). 

The album itself does not look at all like a rock album in the slightest with it's bright colours and childish themes but it is a good example of how diverse album art can be for the genre and proves that dark and disturbing themes are not always associated with rock music. It is iconic - as with most Beatles albums - as it associates itself with the bands unique style and views as well as giving a good feel as to what kind of music can be heard on the CD.

The most significant part of this album is the imagery; it is so odd and peculiar that it attracts a sense of great interest. It leaves the audience wondering what is going on in the images and makes them want to buy the album to see what the strangeness is all about. The album is full of bold fonts and bright colours which makes it stand out from other, plainer albums and gives off a very fun aura. The fact that there are photos of the band is also very significant as they are very well known people that were very well-liked at the time and still remain so to this day. All of the images show the audience familiar faces which also may attract them to buy the album.

We can tell that this album is not The Beatles' first as it shows a lot of production and work has gone into the presentation; particularly the cover and the cartoons on the back. We can tell this because a first album would probably have a more simple, less intricate design in comparison to the bright eye-catching cover of Magical Mystery Tour.

This album would most likely attract a diverse audience as The Beatles were a widely-liked band and the style of their music had a sense of distinction about it. It would mainly attract fans of The Beatles, although a lot of people may have seen the album in stores and been intrigued by the bizarre and eccentric imagery on the cover.

This was done by Sophie Arnison.