This is the album tour promotional tour poster for the band, ‘Coldplay’ and their new album called, ‘Viva La Vida’. The main image in the centre of the promotional poster is a painting which can be linked with the French Revolution of the 17th century. This link of the 21s century rock band with the French revolution with the image of people with guns and dead bodies with a central figure of woman holding a French flag is the key element of the poster. They are boldly stating with this central image that they are starting a revolution. The French Revolution is seen by many to be an iconic symbolism of the uprising of the people and the turning point for the working classes getting recognised and heard in a time when the bourgeois dominated the proletariat in all areas of their life. This revolutionary underlying theme’s will appeal to many oppressed working class audience, as they want to feel like buying this, ‘Viva La Vida’ album will make you feel like you are contributing to a global uprising from oppression. David Gaunlett, (born 15 March 1971) is a British sociologist and media theorist who has written many books and articles on the media and the relationship between the audience and the media. A book which he has written, Media, Gender and Identity: An Introduction he states that audience members buy the CD saying, “F**k you consumer society”, when they are listening to their new revolutionary, Marxist marketed CD, but really what they are saying is that, “I like this commodity which you have churned out of this capitalist regime, I will buy more in the future”. David Gauntlett's consumer cycle can be linked with this CD, as the consumer, on purchasing of this CD, will think they are rejecting society and the hierarchy when in fact they are supporting them by buying their commodities. This is in actual fact an opposite reaction to the purchasing of this CD, where the album and its values are so highly advertised and marketed that people are numb and unaware of the actual motives behind creating the CD, which is purely money focused and to make a profit for the recording studios. Audience’s feel that their motives are to start a revolution by creating this CD with revolutionary themes. This advertising poster for their new album can also be linked with the Marxist theory of revolution of the working class. Around the time of the French revolution, Marxism fluxed and grew in influence and popularity as this was the time that the Marxist ideology and theory was most appearing to happen in front of Karl Marx. To Marxism, the French revolution and later the English Civil War were turning points for liberation and freedom of the common man and the start of the abolishing of the upper classes. Muse as a band have aligned themselves with this Marxism uprising ideas as it wants to appeal to their fans, which for the majority will be lower middle to working class people. Also this poster and ideology will appeal to their new fans as this could represent a new revolution for their music and careerer in which Muse and their music and fans are at the fore front of the new era of music and revolution. A revolution to gather the old fans together but at the same time encompass new fans with their new technology and rave style music and Marxism ideology. Even though the central image is a painting of the French revolution Muse is attempting to in effect use the popularity and infamous French Revolution which is well know by many people as a globalisation effect where even though the revolution was country specific it also applies to every single country. The same effect would have been used with a painting of the Russian Revolution or the English Civil War but the image is so iconic and says so much through symbolic ideology that Muse and there producers/ advertisers had to use to their advantage. The text which is on the bottom and top of the centre image is a bold font which is of gold colour. The gold colour symbolises the rich and upper class and contrasts with the image of the working class French revolution. It may mean that the poor and the oppressed will take back the riches through the revolution. As the classic childhood tale of Robin Hood which states a semi rural uprising when the rich shall share or be forced to share their wealth with the working class oppressed. The phase, “Less is more” certainly applies to this particular poster epically with the text as the name of Cold play being so iconic and explicit is the main selling point as they have built up a big enough fan base to appeal to the masses.
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