Right from the start, Prince clearly knew the value of making a strong first impression. This collection of magazine ads from throughout his long and successful career show how he utilized attention-grabbing imagery and striking photographs to introduce numerous albums, singles and movies to the world.

The ad for his 1978 debut album, For You, set the stage by using words to fully spell out just how much of a self-contained creative force Prince could be. "18 years old and he's made his first Warner Bros. album. He composed and arranged the music. Produced the sessions. Played the instruments and sang all the lead and background vocals."

Apart from a witty, icon-aided retort to a sarcastic promotional ad Warner Bros. made for his 1994 album Come at the height of his battle to escape the label, Prince let photographs – usually of him in a variety of daring outfits and haircuts – deliver most of his messages after that. Of course, the love symbol Prince briefly took as his name also makes numerous appearances.

More From WKFR