LayoutThe margin gives the magazine
a orderly format. It is in a ‘L’
layout, so you instantly read
from left to right, noticing the
headlines the magazine wants.
Colour schemes are red and
white, which are simplistic,
mature and appealing.
Masthead- Uses the Billboard logo. Is
seen on every edition of the magazine,
so it is easily recognisable. The font is
very informal- aiming at teenagers. The
colours red and yellow are gender
neutral, appearing to both sexes.
The word billboard is also the word of a
advertising sign, telling us the
magazine content is a form of media.
Plug/Header-draws
attention to the
conference.
Shows it is a form
of media and
advertising.
Main Image- Rihanna’s pose is very
provocative, appealing to the male
gaze. The pose may also appeal to
women as they will admire Rihanna
and aspire to be her. Her white top
could signify innocence, but as it is
quite revealing and you can also see
Rihanna’s gun tattoo, it shows Rihanna
is the opposite to innocence and
almost fierce. Relating to us not
knowing who Rihanna is.
The brightness of the red hair connotes
passion and lust, the same passion
feels for her music.
The red contrasts against the purple
background, as red is a powerful colour
our eyes are drawn to this straight
away.
Date and Price- A common
convention in all magazines. Price
is very small conveying that the
company doesn’t want the price Bar Code- A common
to stand out as it doesn’t appeal convention on a magazine.
to the audience. The magazine is Need in order to purchase
$6.99- £4.36, aiming at a middle magazine.
class audience.
Picture of Rihanna overlaps
the masthead suggesting the
Billboard is a extremely
successful magazine and
customers will recognise it
even if it is covered. Showing
the Billboard isn't a
independent magazine and is
easily recognised.
Billboard magazine is a chart magazine
that doesn’t focus on any particular genre,
which is similar to Rihanna as she is R&B
and pop, so she is appropriate for the
cover.
Rihanna appeals to the target audience of
young adults interested in chart music,
because Rihanna is a young adult who is
in the music charts.
Quote Preview/Pull Quote“Don’t know who I am” Makes the
readers want to read and find out
more about Rihanna to feel closer to
her as they love the idea of reading a
exclusive.
Gives us a idea what her article will be
about.
The feature headline: “Rihanna” is written
in gradient, above the anchorage of “my
fans don’t really know who I am” suggesting
it is fading because the Rihanna we think we
know, we don’t. This could be due to
Rihanna’s many “RE-inventions”
The heading is spread over the width of the
magazine, bigger than the masthead,
suggesting Rihanna is a bigger star than the
magazine.
The use of white against the purple makes it
stand out so our eyes are drawn to the
word- Rihanna. The white could signify
innocence and purity.
The front cover of Rihanna, represents woman as being a object
of the male gaze-Laura Mulvey theory. This is reinforced by
Rihanna’s fiery red hair and red lips- this suggests passion, lust
and danger, which will appeal to males. Rihanna is a object of
desire, as she wears a revealing crop top which is made from
lace, which could show her femininity and innocence.
- Billboard is aimed at no particular gender, as it depends on the
image on the front cover. So this issue of the magazine will be
targeted mostly at males but females too.
- The target age of Billboard is 24-54 years of age, but it depends
on the musician on the front. As Rihanna is 24 years old so she
fits in to the target category.
As Billboard is a chart magazine, the musician on the front is
likely to be in the chart so they appeal to the audience.
-Rihanna is a mixed-race female, meaning that the cover is more
likely going to appeal to a mixed-race population, as they can
relate more too her. As Billboard is a American magazine, in
comparison to the UK there is a higher population of ethnic
groups, meaning the magazine is more likely going to appeal to
them.
-The font used in all Billboard magazine front covers are bold and
in capitals, and they are normally white or a bright, bold colours.
The font is clear and easily understood, and it allows you to learn
what is included in the magazine. It also helps give the images
more meaning. 82% of people who buy Billboard are college
graduates, which means they are educated. This font appeals to
them as it is sophisticated, and mature.
- The magazine is $6.99/ £4.36 which is affordable. The
audience that buy Billboard are mainly middle class and wealthy.
- The intertextuality this image is similar to Rihanna’s –Loud
album. As they have the same colour schemes, and Rihanna has
the bright red lips and hair. This could be used as a subliminal
message as they are more likely to see her album and recognise
it from this front cover and what to buy it. The image is also very
similar to the image used to publicise Rihanna’s perfume- Reb’;
Fleur.
Subtle use of the masthead in small above the chart. Makes
the contents page looks sophisticated. Reminds the reader
what magazine they are reading.
The ‘Contents’ font is
As it is above the music chart, its shows that it is Billboard’s
repeated for the headingchart, not the official. Also that it is something only Billboard
‘No1’ The font is used in
significant places to draw the has to offer.
audiences attention.
The chart section is presented in a
small left section of the contents
page.
The chart shows the no.1 of
albums, songs, and the weeks
music.
The fonts used aren’t particularly
big or exciting, so they don’t
necessarily stand out on the page.
However, as Billboard magazine is
a chart magazine the people who
buy the magazine will be
interested in the chart so they will
take time to read it.
It shows that Billboard is a
magazine that focus’ a lot on the
music and not just the celebrity,
this is reinforced by the Chart
section taking up 1 third of the
contents page.
The layout- The format is very clear as the contents page has been split up in many
sections, e.g. ’upfront’, ‘music’ etc. This is good as it allows the reader to navigate
through the magazine easily. This is suitable for the target audience of young adults,
as they wont want to be wasting time.
Heading- “Contents” clearly placed at
the top of the page, informing the
reader that this is what the page is for.
If it wasn’t there is may be hard to tell
it is the contents page.
The font used is bold, black and is
written in a informing font that would
be used on a box/parcel etc. or the
word ‘Danger’. The font looks serious
and formal in comparison to the theme
of the magazine.
Sub-Images-Multiple images are
used with page numbers next to
them so the reader knows easily
where to find each article.
Each image shows a musician,
but none of them are performing.
This could suggest that the
articles are about well known
musicians, so they will be
recognised anyway.
The main image shows the singer
wearing black, against a white
background. So she stands out
and is noticed.
The colour scheme- used is very minimalisticwhite, blue and black. This makes the magazine
look more simple, and music focused. The blue
is striking and is used to separate sections, and
highlight popular articles, e.g. “The Latin Kings”
It is a gender neutral colour, so appropriate for
everyone.
The heading is ‘Amy’s ink House’ and on Amy Winehouse’s
body you can see she has tattoos- so the title is something she
is passionate about. It also gives the reader a insight what the
article is about.
They’ve used a play-on-word by using ‘ink’ instead of
‘Winehouse’, this relates to the phrase “___ is my middle
name” reiterating Amy’s passion for tattoos.
This is reinforced by the
text. It tells us how
Amy Winehouse is now
a tattooist with a
tattoo parlour. It says
“The smile of
achievement gleams
from Amy” as she
walks in to her studio,
this shows that Amy
has worked hard and is
very proud of what she
has created.
The magazine is
focusing on Amy
Winehouse’s other
talents and her
achievements rather
than her music; even
though it is a music
magazine.
The target audience will be young
adults/ teenagers and this spread
will appeal to them. Amy
Winehouse’s was a pop singer, so
the target audience would be pop
music appreciators.
The article isn’t about
Amy’s music, but her
passions instead. This is
suited to Billboards
image as it is a
magazine about the
musicians not just the
music.
The Layout-In comparison to the image, the text is very small and
insignificant. This could tell us that the main focus is the celebrity
rather than what she has to say. As she dominates half of the double
page spread.
This is reinforced by the remind of the target audience for this
magazine, and the genre it is- a chart magazine. Not necessarily for
people who buy music magazines just to appreciate music.
Graphics-The colour scheme
used is very simple as it is only
one colour and that is the greyas the black and white effect has
been used. This could also relate
back to the title as the typical
colour of tattoos are black.
The main focus of the double
page spread is of Amy
Winehouse relaxed in bed.
The image is in black and
white and shows the singer in
shorts and a bra. The image
looks natural, as if she didn’t
know the photo was being
taken, due to the camera
looking down on her.
Amy Winehouse is also doing a
very provocative pose as she
lays with her legs open and
one hand under her shorts.
This image is very sexualised
and appeals to the male gaze
as men would be very
attracted to this image. It also
reflects the representation of
females as women would also
look at this image and admire
Amy and want to be like her.
The masthead of ‘Q’ magazine is very big and bold, and it isn’t covered by the
picture of Adele.. The ‘Q’ stands out as it is against a striking red, so it is one of the
first things you see when you look at the magazine- which is a good selling point for
the magazine. The colour red signifies passion and energy, and white is associated
with purity and innocence. The image of Adele is only slightly covering the text, in
comparison to other magazines, this could suggest that Adele is proud to be
associated with Q, and she is publicising the magazine.
The tagline of the magazine is
“Discover great music”- so the
audience want to buy the
magazine so they can discover
it for themselves.
The plug- “The 300th issue” this
could encourage the reader to buy
this issue as it could be special as it
is the 300th issue. The use of the
colour gold, signifies wealth and
royalty, so for the people who
purchase this could feel wealthy
and privileged.
Main Image- The medium shot of Adele is studio taken and
shows the singer looking directly at the camera with her
thumb against her lips. This pose makes the reader feel
more connected with her, and it is also slightly provocative,
suggesting it is directed towards the male gaze. Adele’s skin
tones is very pale; almost similar to the background colour,
this could relate to the idea of the 19th century where a pale
tone signified beauty. The singer’s long hair looks
windswept, relating back to the subheading- “Blows us
away”. Reminding us that Adele’s talent is so powerful, that
is effects even her looks.
Quote Preview- ‘If you’ve got it, flaunt it’- this shows
a confident side to Adele, which is inspiring to the
reader. Makes the reader want to read the magazine
to see how Adele- ‘got it’
The image backs this us, as she looks very confident as
if she is ‘flaunting’ what she has got.
‘Q’ magazine normally focus’ more on the older
generation of music, so for Adele to be on the front
cover she should be proud, therefore ‘flaunt’ it.
Cover lines- inform us on the other
artists that will be featured within
the magazine- this will influence
whether the magazine will be
purchased. Words such as ‘Liam’
are in bold capitals informing us he
has ‘last requests’. Each artists and
a minor heading underneath
sounding exciting, attracting the
reader to want to know more.
The bar code and the price are at the
bottom of the magazine, which is very
common in all magazines. This issue is
£3.99, which is affordable to the
audience it is aimed at.
The headline-’ Adele’ in bold white capital letters
showing the reader that the main focus of this issue is
Adele. The font is simplistic, suggesting that ‘Q’ is
focused more on the music rather than the
musician/celebrity also that her voice is so amazing
on it’s own it needs no fancy fonts.
Graphics-This is reinforced by the magazines
colour schemes. ones. The colours used are very
simple they are red, black and a pale grey
colour. This shows that ‘Q’ is a mature,
traditional magazine that takes itself more
seriously.
Q’ is a mature magazine that focus’ on successful
artists rather than the new upcoming artists. This
means that the target audience are more likely the
mature music appreciating people that are
interested in popular music rather than the new
artists
-The slightly provocative image of Adele, could appeal to the male
gaze, presenting woman as a object of desire-the hegemony theory.
This is presented by Adele’s ‘thumb on open mouth’ pose, suggesting
that she is still a covert sexual figure. The thumb could also be a
phallic symbol.
-As 68% of Q’s readers are male, they are providing for the majority.
The 32% of females who read Q, will also be attracted to the
magazine as they will aspire to be like Adele, and see her as a role
model.
-Adele is a white British female, suggesting she is more likely to appeal
to the white British population, rather than the ethnic minority groups.
85% of Britain are white British, so they are appealing to the majority.
-Q’s audience is younger than any other music monthly magazine with
the average age of the reader being 29. Adele is 24, so she is of similar
age to the average reader, suggesting she is likely to read the
magazine as well- which could make them feel more connected to her.
Adele is a current, successful singer of the 21st century, so she is likely
to be relevant to the readers lives; making them more likely to buy the
magazine.
-Capital letters are used on the front cover of all Q magazines. The font is
bold, informative, and clear. Q is a trusted, high quality magazine focused
on music of substance, the font appeals to this as it is simplistic and it
doesn’t draw attention away from the headlines, instead it helps
emphasis the words and get the message across. The font also appeals to
the target audience as they are young , and affluent , suggesting that they
are of a higher class. So as the magazine is neat and sophisticated it will
appeal to them.
-The intertextuality of the image could relate to the front cover of
Adele’s albums, as they also present a clear, simplistic image of
Adele’s face, with a clear view of her long hair This could suggest
that Adele uses a face and hair as her main selling point.
This helps connect the audience to Adele, as we feel a familiarity
with her, as if we know her personally.
Heading-The ‘Q’ logo is in a relatively small
font, suggesting that the magazine is
extremely well known, so it doesn’t need to
be in a big font. It is followed by the word
‘CONTENTS’ in bold capital letters, which is
conventional, so the reader knows exactly
what the page is for, and what is included in
the magazine they have purchased.
It shows the main articles that will be
featured in the magazine, making them want
to buy it.
Tagline “Discover great music”.
Entices the audience to read more as
they want to discover the great
music that Q magazine has to offer.
The sub- heading - “Features”
grabs the audience’s attention to
the kicker’s-(the issue of Q’s main
articles.) They all sound exciting
and exclusive, e.g. “Fight the
Power” and “Pro Green’s exclusive
track” making the reader feel like
they are getting information they
can’t get anywhere else.
As they are in a list it gives the
impression that there is a large
amount of context within the
magazine.
Plug“140 songs to download now”
attracts the audiences attention.
Stands out on the contents page so
the viewer wants to flick to mage 58
and download the songs.
Form of address- The words used a informal and
sometimes rude. The magazine is aimed at a older
target audience, so it is appropriate. Makes the
reader feel more comfortable, and enjoy the
magazine more.
There is a issue number on the top, telling
us that Q has published 207 magazines.
This shows that it is a very successful,
popular magazine.
Knowing the issue number also makes it
easier if you want to look up the issue
online etc.
The extreme close up of Lana Del Ray
shows her staring directly at the camera
as if she is staring at the audience, telling
us to buy the magazine.
She has blood dripping from her head,
suggesting she is violent and is
associated with danger. It could also
relate to her passion for her music.
It makes you want to buy the magazine
to find out what has happened.
Page numbers-Page 48 is enlarged in a bold
font of white against red over the image of
Lana Del Rey. This allows the audience to see
that this is the main article, so they can flick
to it quickly.
The contents page’s colour scheme is very
simplistic and it is the traditional ‘Q’ colours:
red, white and black. This could suggest that ‘Q’
magazine is very basic because it is all about the
music not the complexity of the layout. It could
also suit their target audience of young adults
who are very interested in music.
The layout of the magazine is very orderly and
structured. Reinforcing the idea that it is a magazine
only for the music. It is very clear to read, which could
entice the music lovers as they can quickly and easily see
if the issue related to their music taste
The main image is a
medium shot and it
shows the four men
looking directly at the
camera. Two of them
are holding guitars so
we know straight away
that they are musical
and have talent, it also
reiterates the point of
the “biggest guitar
band to 2011”. On
magazine covers for
music genre’s that isn’t
pop the image normally
shows that artists
showing their talent
within the photo and
that’s what the
Vaccines are doing. All
four of the men are
looking directly at the
camera, but they aren’t
posing. This could
suggest that the 4
musicians are
dedicated to the music,
and don’t feel like they
have to pose to show
their passion and
talent.
The main focus of this article is the image of the members of The
Vaccines in comparison to the text that is smaller on the right. This
could signify that The Vaccines are popular and successful and they
will attract the audience more than the text will, so they are the
main attraction of the double page spread.
‘his spread is focusing on the up and coming acts for 2011,
suggesting they are a future successful band.
As they are the main focus, it also helps to get The Vaccines more
well known, which will lead them to be more popular.
As the man is in the front, it could suggest
that he is the leader of the band. The use of
him holding his guitar shows that this is his
role within the band, and as it is the colour
red, it connotes to passion, symbolising the
passion for the music.
The heading- ‘The Vaccines’ stands out as it is
bold, black and in capital letters. This shows that
the magazine wants to publicise that band as it
is up and coming.
The way we read this spread is first we are
attracted to the large picture, and secondly we
see the bands name. This is good as we then
automatically know that these 4 men are from
The Vaccines, which is exactly what the
magazine is designed to do.
A quote- used “we are a
pop band” is enlarged and
is in blue. As it is a quote
we know that The Vaccines
want to be a pop bond,
rather than a indie band,
etc. However the layout
used contradicts this.
Graphics- The colour scheme is very basic. The use of a gritty sepia
tone, gives a almost vintage feel which is similar to the genre of The
Vaccines and their sound.
There is also big splashes of blue, suggesting a more modern feel to the
vintage look/feel, saying that the Vaccines have something new to
offer to older bands. This is also shown in how the spread looks like
some parts have been stuck on, as if the band aren’t bothered if it is
tidy because they are only care about the simplicity of the music.
The article is a interview
with each member of the
band. This is then another
chance for the reader to get
to know the new band well.
The ‘BBC’ logo shows that the
magazine is a trusted institution.
There fore the reader will know
the context of the magazine is to
a BBC standard.
The magazine uses a lot of buzz words such as ‘inside!’
‘wow!’ ‘instant’ this suggests that the magazine is
determined for the reader to notice all these buzz words
and want to buy the magazine to find out why they are
being used. This is likely to be successful for a teen
magazine.
The masthead- is the Top of the Pops
logo. The font is in pink- showing the
magazine is aimed at teenage girls.
The font is also informal and fun
suggesting that that’s exactly what
the context of the magazine will be.
People who purchase this magazine
don’t necessarily buy it to appreciate
the music but for the other topics
instead. Even though the heading is
“Top of the Pops” the magazine only
has a small feature to the top of the
charts.
The main image- is studio taken of Lady
Gaga. Lady Gaga’s hair is long and white,
which could signify purity.. However, Lady
Gaga is wearing a very low cut, dark green
dress, revealing she is not innocent. This
picture again could be designed for the
male gaze, but due to its target audience,
more girls will look at this picture and aspire
to be like Lady Gaga.
Sub Image- The Plug-shows the one
direction band. ‘1D’a cutest interview
ever!” Even though 1D are a music
band, the magazine says nothing about
their music, suggesting it is a magazine
for celebrities and not music.
Subheading 'True Life terror’ this
heading shows that the magazine also
includes real life entries. The use of
the word terror could suggest a
serious, traumatic event, but as it is
for teenage girls you realise that it is a
less serious story, this is reinforced by
the “I was attacked by cows” which
sounds more humours that terrifying.
The use of a selling-line a long the top attracts the
reader and gives a brief summary of the main
contents of this issue. Successful stars such as
‘Selena Gomez, Justin Bieber’ are used as the
publisher will know they are top sellers. All the
names used are musicians, as the banner is next to
the masthead, it gives the impression that the
magazine is more music based than it is.
Plug-‘Are you a flirt failure?’ aiming at the target
audience as it is the kind of issue they could be worried
about. Shows that the magazine has quiz’s- which
could be a reason to buy the magazine as the reader
has a change to get involved, and fill it in themselves.
Quote Preview- ‘I’m not body confident’ This
is very appealing to young girls, as at that age
you have lots of body issues. By writing this on
the front cover it shows that teenager that
they have something in common to their
favourite celebrities.
The subheading/quote preview is quite ironic,
as behind the quote is a picture of the star
revealing a lot of her body on the front of a
magazine-proving she obviously is more
confident with her body that she says. This
could have a negative affect of the target
audience as they might see this image and
believe that if she isn’t body confident with
the body she has, that they will have to
change their bodies.
Barcode and Price-The bar code is shown,
which is needed for purchase. And the price, is
£2.99, which is affordable as it is likely going to
be the teens parent buying the magazine.
-Lady Gaga appeals to the target audience of the magazine
as 88% of them are females. The image of
musician/celebrity is girly and fun, and represents the
stereotypical view of females.
-As the majority of the readers are female, they are
appealing to the majority. This is reinforced by the colour
scheme of the magazine and the font used.
- Pre teens is the target age of Top of the Pops magazine.
Lady Gaga is obviously older than the target age, however
the audience could look at the picture of Lady Gaga and
see her as a role model and inspiration.
-Top of the Pops magazine is a magazine focused on music
but mainly celebrities and their stories. As Lady Gaga is
very famous, the image of her appeals to the genre of Top
of the Pops- a lifestyle magazine.
-The main colour scheme is pink, white, and a dark green.
The colours are fun, bright and cheery which is similar to
the Top of the Pops brand identity. The use of the hot pink
connotes to the idea of young girls and their innocence.
The fonts used are similar to the story they are writing
about, e.g. “cutest interview ever!” the word cutest is in
italics reinforcing the idea that it will be cute.
.
The heading of this page,
clearly informs the reader that
this page is the contents page.
The font is informal and girl,
reinforced by it put against a
pink background- this tells us
that this magazine is aimed at
the female audience. The
writing is similar to
handwriting, which could make
the magazine be more
approachable and welcoming.
The shortening of the wordmagazine-also does this.
Colours-the scheme used are white, hot pink, and black.
This is the same for all Top of the Pops contents pages. The
use of yellow also show importance and draws attention to
some of the magazines main articles.
Sub Image-Within the contents
page is a image of the front
cover. The contents page is very
similar to the cover as it is very
cluttered with information and
pictures.
Big page numbers and arrows
point to the front cover telling
the reader which page
everything Is on. The numbers
are very large, and this could be
due to the young audience who
reads the magazine as they
might find it difficult to find each
page.
Third and fourth image- have no relevance to music and is a image of the
retail aspect of the magazine yet they catch the readers eye and make them
want to buy the magazine to see where it is from.
Sub-headings-Each subheading is in
every issue of the magazine, so regular
customers will be aware of the different
sections. This makes the contents page
very structured, and easy to locate the
section you want which is beneficial to
the young target audience.
Sub-heading is ‘we love boys’- tells us the
magazine is aimed at the young female
audience. With the follow up- ‘Get inside
boys heads’ which is exactly what a young
female girl will want to do, do this
magazine will attract them.
The ‘we love boys’ says that some
articles are highlighted yellow, so you
can quickly find the features to help
boy problems or to the pictures of the
boys. This appeals to the target
audience needs.
It also suggests, as it is highlighted,
that boys are the most important thing
in a young girls lives. This is slightly
stereotypical.
Sub image- is of the extremely
successful teenage boy band- One
Direction. Putting them on the contents
page tells the reader that there will be a
article about them within the magazinethis will make a lot of them want to buy
the magazine.
Saying ‘a fit boyfriend’ appeals
to a young female audience as
they are interested in boys at
this age.
‘All about you’ at the top
of the page is almost ironic
as the magazine should be
‘all about’ music, but
instead it is writing article
s of musicians but about
fashion, lifestyle etc..
Heading-‘How to get my
life’ is in a very big, black
and bold font- similar to
the colour of her dress.
The title makes us look at
the image and aspire to
be like Selena, and when
we read the title we are
happy as we feel like we
can be just like her.
The heading is in big pink
quote marks telling us
that Selena is very proud
of her life, and she wants
to share how with
everybody.
The writer calls Selena ‘Sel’ as if they have a close
friendship and they know Selena well. This makes the
celebrity more approachable, it also makes the reader
feel closer to the celebrity as if they and her are friends
also. The use of the rhetorical question entices the reader
to buy the magazine as they find themselves wanting to
know her secrets.
The language used is very informal,
similar to the language young girls
would use. Therefore making the
magazine more relatable and
approachable. ‘Style Secrets’ is in bold and is
followed up by ‘Selena says’ this
shows that the article is about
Selena Gomez’ advice on girl
interests. By getting the advice
from someone you admire and is
famous, you are more likely to
listen. This shows that the media
plays a large role on influencing
people. The alliteration catches the
readers eye.
The colour scheme used is black,
hot pink and white. The colours
stand out, but they also appeal
to the target audience as they
are very fun and girly which also
follows the representation of
females.. Selena’s outfit and
makeup also match the scheme.
The black is a bit different for a
teenage magazine, but this
creates a edgy look for Selena
Gomez that the teenagers will
aspire to.
The main focus/convention of the double page spread is the celebrity/musician- Selena Gomez. The right page is taken up mainly by
her body and the left side is just her legs and the heading- so there is very little writing. Selena is wearing a short black, furry dress,
and we can see her smiling at the camera, making the audience feel more involved, with one leg up and one leg bent. The picture
would definitely appeal to the male gaze, but because of its target audience the image is used to inspire young girls. The black could
connote to danger, especially as it is also made from fur, which could be seen as appealing to some teenagers. Selena’s pose could be
seen as provocative but her expression makes it more fun, girly and energetic- which is suitable for the magazine.