task 2a

1. The denotation of Kerrang is a weekly, British magazine devoted to rock music.
The target audience of Kerrang is males ages 15-24 who enjoy and are fans of rock music.
The masthead is very large and bold, and is clearly recognisable, despite the fact that it is behind the main
image, as Kerrang is a branded magazine. The font chosen appears to be shattered, which links to the gene
of the magazine as rock has connotations of rebellion. The masthead is placed at the top of the page as this
is the most noticeable.
The main coverline is in a very large font, making it more noticeable and also making intone of the main
focal points. The use of capitals makes the audience feel as though someone os shouting these words at
them, making it seem a lot more impotent. This coverline emphasises the fact that this is a special
hallowe’en edition, which will attract the audience.
The other coverlines are mainly positioned in the bottom right corner. The fact that they are all bunched up
together draws the attention of the reader as there is a lot of brightly coloured text in one place. Each of the
artists mentioned in these coverlines is written in a yellow font, as opposed to the white used for the rest of
the coverline. This is effective as it will attract fans of these artists, thus appealing to the target audience.
The main image is Andy Biersack and Ronnie Radke. They are both from two different bancds, which will
help to attract more of the target audience as fans of both bands will be more attracted to the magazine. The
are both looking directly at the camera which is direct address and will make the magazine seem more
welcoming to the audience. They are both wearing black, which is follows conventions as the colour black is
often associated with rock music. They are also both heavily tattooed, which also links to the genre as body
modifications also have connotations of rock music. They are each carrying a pumpkin bucket, which links to
the fact that this is a hallowe’en edition of the magazine.
Other images placed on the front cover are sneak peaks of the posters included in the magazine. The
posters are included as they give the audience an extra incentive to purchase the magazine. These images
also contain a lot of black, which again links to the genre.
The header contains information about one of the other main articles in the magazine. The fact that this
coverline is placed in the header makes it one of the main focal points on the page, and the bright orange
colour used as the background draws the attention of the audience. Fans of Paramore will see this and will
be more likely to buy this magazine as they know that this band is one of the main features in the magazine.
The footer is also designed to attract the target audience, s it again highlights some of the artists featured
inside the magazine. It is the same orange colour as the header which is visually appealing for the audience.
A puff is used to draw attention to a prize that you scan win. The prize is used to give the audience extra
incentive to buy the magazine as they may want to enter the competition.
The date and issue number are placed on the front cover as this makes it easier for the audience to see
how recent the information is.
The price is located in a small front at the bottom of the page. It is in a small font as it is not free, and so is
not one of the main selling points.
The barcode is also positioned on the front cover as it is a legal obligation, but will not interest the reader or
attract the target audience, and so is quite small and almost unnoticeable.
The rule of thirds is followed on this cover. Main features such as their faces are positioned where the lines
would intersect. The masthead is also placed in the left third, meaning it would still be visible when the
magazine is placed on a shelf.
The colour scheme for the cover of this edition of Kerrang does not follow the house style. The colour
scheme is usually red, white and black. However, as this is the hallowe’en edition, it includes a lot of green
and yellow. These colours are very bright and so are effective and catch the audience’s attention. Black is
included in the colour scheme as rock music has connotations of the colour black. White is used as it
contrasts with a lot of the dark backgrounds.
The mode of address is very informal, due to the colloquial language used. The conversational tone makes
it seem more personal for the audience and alsop seems more welcoming.

2. The overall impression of this magazine cover is very busy. This impression is created due to the amount
of content on the page. It is also created because a lot of the text and images are positioned at an angle,
making the content look less organised. The number of different colours used also adds to this effect.
Header
Masthead
Selection of images
(preview of posters)
Date
Issue number
Price
Barcode
Main image
Puff
Main coverline
Other coverlines
Footer