Group: 'Rebranding' of Justin Bieber

How ‘‘Skrillex and Diplo – ‘Where Are U Now’ with Justin Bieber’’ has reinvented Justin Bieber:

Dyer’s star image was used to portray Justin Bieber as a credible star

-creative connotations from the use of editing doodles associates creativity with Justin Bieber

-the use of editing also has connotations of the doodles being Bieber’s own thoughts, which imply intelligence and therefore associate more mature connotations with the star

-the extremely fast cutting rate has connotations of urgency and eagerness – positive representations with regards to an artist attempting to revitalise his career

Barthes' narrative codes
-Symbolic code- relationship between Justin Bieber and fans is illustrated through visuals of fans doodles becoming part of his set design.
-the narrative suggests Justin Bieber values his fanbase, which contributes to his meta narrative of being caring towards his fans.

Goodwin
-use of intertextual references to Simpsons and Jackson Pollock reveal his creative nature



Jackson Pollock's 'paint splatter' is an iconic creative style

-Notion of looking contributes to his star image, evident on multiple occasions, especially at the start.
-voyeuristic connotations due to lack of fetishistic shots and use of editing retracts from artist. This assumes legitimacy upon Justin Bieber, due to the lack of meat shots signalling his ability as a musical artist is less dependent on his good looks.

Semiotics
-colour is an iconic sign of freedom and rebellion. This is one of Dyer's star qualities, which proves the proficiency of JB's rebranding.
-graffiti is an indexical sign of rebellion, another star quality.



Justin Bieber : What Do You Mean - Analysis

Justin Bieber and his creative team are currently in the process of 'rebranding'. and trying to create a Justin that reaches a greater audience. or perhaps an audience that is a bit more mature than his associated audience.

This song. 'What Do You Mean?' is clearly taking a different approach to the singers usual music and videos.

The singer appears to be reaching out to a new, more mature audience, he is achieving this, simply, by creating music videos with more mature content. this music video can  be seen to mix thriller appeal and action. the style of his video has been aged through the use of green tinting on the video and the use of bold red neon signs on street corners. giving the video a retro vibe.

The seedy transaction of money between Justin Bieber and the other character in the initial sceen of the music video is used to create an air of anti authoritarian behaviour. making Bieber appear to be a rebel and a 'bad boy' changing his prior image dramatically.

Through the use drama the music video is presented more as a film than a short clip. which again can be used as a tool to reach a more mature audience. as they are more likely to be drawn to a film than a childish clip.

Sex appeal and male gaze are utilised in the video to produce a more mature appeal. this is produces through the use of a scantily clad female actress who engaged in sexual actions with Bieber. a clear move to obliterate the previously childish appeal of Bieber.

Another technique used by Bieber is to produce an on screen appearance that is both present, and absent. this is primarily used to create an air of mystery to surround the artist. this has one primary goal. to ensure a following. this is produced when people want to know more about this mysterious character. this, coupled with the new more mature audience appeal ensures that the new following is the following that he wants.

The narrative in the video is rather confusing, and therefore promotes repeatability, meaning people engage in multiple viewings of the video, increasing its popularity. as the viewer attempts to understand what is happening.

Use of printwork to rebrand Justin Bieber