Introduction to Ancillary Texts.

By Shpresa Smakiq

What is a DigiPak and Advertisement? 

• A digipak is a there adds value to add value to a product in order to encourage us to park ways with our money.
• It is known as a modern approach to CD packaging and allows for inclusion of more information about a band/artist, in order to promote them further.
• An advert is not the main product it is simply complementary.
• The combination of a digipak and advertisement creates a 'cross promotional package' - which will use a range of different media products to help promote a band/artist.

Through out these products, video, digipak and advertisement you will often see synergy, that will help to develop a visual link for the audience, that is easy to recgonise. 

Ancillary Products

• Ancillary products act as an additional media material for artists. They are used to help promote the song for an artist. 
• Ancillary products include websites, posters, album artwork. These are used as different ways of promoting the artist through visual branding.
• Ancillary products tend to work alongside music videos to create visual links through a recurring theme to help the audience establish the genre. This is also known as synergy which is usually found throughout.

Codes & Conventions

• The codes and conventions are things you expect to see in the way media products are constructed. They are almost like 'rules'. However the codes and conventions are based on the media form and genre. For example rules will be different for a music video, film opening and so on..
• Codes and conventions are needed in order for the audience to be able to identify and become familiar with a genre.
• I will be following codes and conventions in my products.

What will my digipak and advert include?

My digipak and advert like any other, will include things that are often seen on these products.

1. The artists name ( in large clear font, should be easy to read and same font must be used through out)
2. Tracklisting ( which again must be in the same font)
3. Production information ( Copyright; year of production, web address, record label, logo/name, distributor; producers, possible price.)
4. Images of the main artist

The digipak needs to echo visual style and a colour scheme (which must be 3/4 colours max), it must not contain anymore than 2 fonts. It must include elements of graphic desgin not jusr images from the video.

Most importantly the digipak and advertisement must create a visual link. 

Example

Artists name

Album name

Image of artist

Tracklist

Product information