Digipak Research - Eminem

This is by far one of my favourite album covers purely because of the message it illustrates. This was Eminem's come back album after an extensive 5 years of rehab dealing with his drug addition. The album title 'Recovery' is pretty self-explanatory; it describes his battle with his addiction and his recovery and how he made it out the other side. The album title is presented in big bold white letters and a red medical sign  is used to illustrate the letter 'O' this connotes the idea of hospitals and sickness which relates back to his drug addiction.

Furthermore, the image used on the album cover has a very apparent message; it's suggesting he's on the 'road to recovery'. It's such a simple image but it creates such a strong sense of appreciation and power for the audience. The image used on the back of the CD is very representative of Eminem as the sign denotes it's set in Detroit, which is Eminem's home town. This is done to make the audience feel closer to him as it's the idea that he's letting his fans deeper into his life. He's also sat on a sofa with a pensive look on his face, the objects surrounding him look as if they belong in an office or therapy room, which links back to concept of the album being about his rehab and recovery. 

Unlike most albums which include a star name and an album name, Eminem doesn't show his name anywhere on the front cover, this is done to not divert the audiences attention from the message of the album however, Eminem's name is visible on the back cover; this is so the audience knows who's album it is, if they haven't already recognised it as being Eminem's.

The colours used on the CD are very dull, almost earthy and mainly consist of blacks and whites; this is done in order to maintain the simplicity of the album art; so that the concept of the album can be understood without any distraction. Furthermore, the album has a minimal use of colour in order to maintain the seriousness of the subject matter.

This album has taught me a lot about what makes for an effective digipak and it has been very inspirational. I have learnt that having a clear message or concept is key when trying to create particular emotions among your audience. I have also learnt that one powerful image is better than a montage of random ones, so I know that when I'm making my digipak I need to be selective with my images and choose the one with the strongest message. The reason why Eminem gets away with not displaying his name on the front cover is because he has already established an image for himself as an artist and has achieved idol status; furthermore, he doesn't need to exhibit his name because he already has a colossal fan base. My digipak however, would need to have the artist's name at the front cover because she is yet to establish herself as an artist and does not have a big enough fan base.