CH - Analysis of an advert

This is an advert for the band Linkin Park, by analysing it we are able to gain a better understanding of advertising for when we create the print advertisements for our track.

The linguistic signs are interesting here; the name of the band is written in a font that has associations with the armed forces, which is polysemic; connoting both a sense of authority or patriotism, as well as a sense of danger, violence and corruption. The font of the album is masculine and bold, with no unnecessary additions such as curled lettering. This connotes power, practicality, confidence.
The iconic signs in the graphics are particularily interesting. The main image is not of the band, but of an anonymous figure wearing a gas-mask and spray painting something. The mise-en-scene is a sepia toned, industrial-like urban wasteland. Altogether these signs connote rebellion against authority, the cult of youth, danger; as a whole, I have the audience reading of a apolcalyptic type vision of the future because I associate this imagery with gangs in the aftermath of a large scale war.
The social myths that are being demonstrated here are postmodernism and counter-culture attraction. This advertisement is postmodern because Linkin Park are not displayed on the album cover, instead preferring to be represented by this photograph, confusing the lines of advertisement and art. They are using indexical signs to goad the reader into associating Linkin Park with the connotations of the imagery; playing on our capitalist-encouraged use of social currency to present ourselves by the media we consume. By consuming this album, for example, the audience would be declaring themselves to be rebellious, powerful and dangerous.