Preliminary Task
- 2. Magazine Analysis 1In this issue of Q, the masthead is large and simple. It creates an instantly recognisable title. The colour red stands out against the fairly dull colours of the rest of the cover. The tag-line: ‘Life inside rock’s new royalty’. The word ‘royalty’ links to the image: the men are well-dressed and looking important. The colour gold used for the headline also symbolises royalty. The words ‘life inside’ draw the reader in and suggest that Q has an exclusive look at the band, something that no other magazine can offer.There is only one headline of this issue: ‘Kasabian’, this shows that this is the main feature of the entire issue. It also creates a very simple and mature-looking front page. The image of Kasabian takes up the entire page, again showing that they are the main feature of the issue. The colours are fairly dark and it is shadowed around the edges. The men are in the foreground (partially covering the Q masthead) and the shot is a low-angled one, showing their importance, and why the readers should pay attention to them.The font used for ‘Kasabian’ is strong and bold. Capitals draw the reader’s attention. The Q is a slightly more curved font and is more friendly and sophisticated.
- 3. Magazine Analysis 2The colours of Marie Claire are blue and red. The blue is fresh and new and the red is eye-catching. Together they are cheerful and fun. They encourage the reader to choose Marie Claire.The prominent tag-line is ‘Smile!’ written in a friendly, curved font and an exclamation mark. This links in with the line “It’s the happy issue.” These are both linked with the image.The image is of an easily recognisable celebrity, which encourages the reader to buy the magazine. Her skin is almost glowing and she is laughing, which links with the theme of the issue: happiness. Her image overlaps the masthead, drawing the readers’ eye to the image of happiness. The marketing technique of ‘the happy issue’ is a clever one, as people instantly gravitate towards the idea of happiness and a happy face. The cover is very busy and there are lots of articles advertised. It is used as a quick look for the browser to see what is included in the issue and see if there is anything they are interested in.
- 4. Magazine Analysis 3It states that it is The Shadow Puppets ‘first major review’, which is a hook, to attract potential readers. The callout of a quote from Alex Turner saying “I was worried the Monkeys would think I’d had an affair”, acts as a tease for the reader to want to read the rest of the article. The use of a quote also makes the article seem more personal. The tone of the text, for example in “Pretty. Odd? Pretty. Ace?” is casual and friendly. This links with the audience, who are usually older teens. The image is of the two artists, with their names underneath. The picture makes them seem mysterious, which creates a sense of anticipation for the reader to find out about their band. Their picture makes them seem iconic. Across the top of the cover, there is a brightly coloured ‘Studio News’ strap line. It mimics the ‘news just in’ on news channels. The cover is very busy with lots of articles, making it seem like it is packed full of articles and is good value for money. The masthead for NME is bold and links with the colour-scheme for the rest of the magazine. The colours are bold red which is attention-grabbing.
- 5. Magazine Analysis 4The colours of the issue of Vogue are eye-catching yet by pairing the red with the black, it remains classy and neat. The image is of a high-fashion model which means it attracts a certain audience, and keeping the classy persona of the magazine. The front cover is full, but not exceptionally so. It is full enough to keep it looking full and value for money, but the large and different coloured titles keep it looking clean and neat. The masthead is bold and is the same style in each issue, which keeps continuity. However, the colours change which means the theme can too, keeping interest. The font is bold yet sophisticated and makes the whole cover look neat with clean, straight lines. The masthead takes up most of the page, drawing the eye. The fact that the image is behind the masthead shows that the importance and attention lies with the name of the magazine.