Research: Analysis of Magazine Advert for Kanye West - Late Registration

The magazine advert for Chicago producer/rapper Kanye West's 2005 album Late Registration aims to intrigue and engage the viewer. This is first achieved through the use of imagery. The album artwork is enlarged, and fills the entire width of the advertisement. It features West’s central mascot, dubbed the ‘dropout bear’, whom also featured on the cover for West’s first album, The College Dropout.

Placed above the dropout bear is the artist name and the album title. West’s name is stylised as KanYeWest, displayed in a gold, serif typeface, and fills almost the entire width of the advert. This effectively draws the viewer’s attention to the advertisement. In 2005, Kanye West was on the rise as an up-and-coming star in hip-hop, and many would have been familiar with his name from the success of 2004’s The College Dropout.

The album title is displayed in all lowercase, and in white lettering, so as to distinguish the album title from the artist name. Interestingly, it’s placement (below the artist name) suggests that the album title is secondary to the artist himself, a pattern found in many album adverts. This is because the artist’s profile and their brand, is, if the artist has found success, capable of selling the record on its own.

Down in the bottom quarter of the advertisement album reviews are featured. There is the use of ‘star’ ratings, which are an effective way of combining imagery and scoring to communicate an opinion. Scores are taken from reputable sources such as Uncut, Observer Music Monthly and Sunday Times Culture. Alongside these, short quotes are taken which aim to compact the magazines’ opinions. Adjectives such as ‘ENTHRALLING’ and ‘MASTERPIECE’ are employed, along with longer, more explanatory quotes, for example: ‘EVERYTHING HE TOUCHES TURNS TO GOLD’.

This quote in particular I find to be powerful, as it coincides with the use of gold shades in the text that are employed across the advertisement; in the review scores, review sources and, above all, the artist’s name at the top of the advert.

In conclusion, I view the magazine advert for Late Registration as a successful endeavor. Its minimalist construction means that all elements are focused, and viewers’ attention is drawn via the clear imagery and bold text. This is bolstered by the display of positive review scores, which reinforce to viewers, the belief that the product advertised is of high quality. This is the aim of an album advertisement, and here it is done effortlessly.