3. General information on the magazine
Genre: The genre of the magazine is mainly fashion this can be shown by the main
image where she’s wearing a beautiful, fashionable dress. This magazine can also be
on the genre of beauty as the as the sell lines clearly explain what beauty products
are used by celebrities.
Name: The name of the magazine is Marie Claire. I think this is because its a feminine
name and the magazine is aimed at women. Also the name Marie Claire has meanings
such as independent, powerful and motivated. This can add to what message the
magazine is trying to portray to their target audience.
Target audience: The target audience can range from mid teens to women who are in
their early stages of adulthood(18+). In particular those who have a passion of fashion
and aspire to be in the fashion industry in the future. Also those who are interested in
celebrity gossip, beauty and shopping tips.
Price: The cost of this edition of Marie Claire is $9.40. Its aimed at young adults as a
result the prices are not too expensive and most people are able to afford it.
4. Masthead is generally situated on the top of a magazine and
includes the names of the writers, editors and owners as
well as the name of the magazine. In this magazine the
masthead is behind the model .This can show that the main
image should be the main focus of this cover.
Cover Lines Cover lines also known as 'puffs‘ attract the readers attention and make
them want to read more of the content of the magazine and what kind of beauty
secrets/tips the magazine has to offer. The colour of the cover lines is the same as
the main cover line but the font is smaller to make the main cover line stand out.
The model is looking straight at the camera giving the
audience a direct mode of address. The models pose
is quite masculine which subverts the stereotypes of
how a female model would pose for a picture. This
can also imply that she is confident in the way she
looks and gives the readers a message that they
should also be confident and feel great about their
body image.
Important parts of a magazine
5. Layout Conventions
Does the front page have layout conventions?
-The main image is in the centre of the cover
- The masthead is at the top of the cover to help readers
recognise what the magazine is called. Also the masthead is
normally at the top of covers of fashion magazines. E.g.
Cosmopolitan
- The typography of the masthead is sanser if which can imply
that it is a feminine magazine.
The typography of the rest of the texts in the cover is serif.
However there of different colours, sizes and boldness to
distinguish the masthead, headline and sell lines.
- The colour scheme of this issue is mainly shades of
red and white. White is used to emphasis the
keywords. The deep red colour of the models dress
can show that she’s powerful, passionate and desired.
The model used for this covers issue is Jessica Alba
who is a very popular actress and the connotations
above confirm what kind of an actress/person she can
come across as.
6. Magazine 2:
Magazine cover general analysis
The front page of Bon Appétit is designed in a
very unique yet appealing and attractive way.
The black and the grey make the pasta look very
attractive since black and grey are not very
bright colours it gives the picture of the pasta
the opportunity to pop up in a very attractive
and colourful way making all the ingredients
very prominent and tempting
The way the white dots symbolize the pleasure
of the pasta is outstanding. Unlike many other
magazines that have too many bright colours, I
believe the colour scheme chosen for this
magazine is extremely classic and the colours
complement one another really well.
7. The Masthead
The masthead has letters coloured in
black and white which gives it a
formal look. However the red and
yellow coloured letters bring out
some diversity. E.g. The country
names are in yellow. The use of red
and yellow gives a bright touch to
the masthead and makes it look
more appealing as these two colours
have positive physiological qualities
mostly associated with the fast food
industry. red triggers stimulation,
appetite, hunger and it attracts
attention. Whereas, Yellow triggers
the feelings of happiness and
friendliness.
8. The Anchoring Photo
The subject of the anchoring
photo on the cover page is a plate
of pasta. This would’ve been
selected for the anchoring photo
as having a mouth watering and
delicious image on the front cover
is a brilliant tactic to attract
customers for the magazine solely
because of their temptation to
injected in them after their first
sight of the pasta. The anchoring
image is a close up shot which is tightly framing the image. The minor details such as
the ingredients, veggies and sauces used can be revealed through the close up shot.
No surroundings are shown as a result the viewer cannot asses the location where this
shot was clicked hence being a close up image. The anchoring image proves that the
producer of this magazine aims to target food lovers
9. Tag line
The tagline of this magazine is
‘FABULOUS PASTAS!’. These
words are written in a larger
font as they indicate what the
content in the magazine is
about. Unlike the cover lines
that are in different colours,
these words are written in
white which is used in the
masthead as well indicating
what category of food Bon
Appetite would be having in
that particular month.
10. Puffs
Puffs play a significant role on a magazine cover. Having yellow
coloured puffs of the cover of the magazine with a colour scheme
of red, white and yellow makes it very attractive. The customers will
look at the puffs before the cover lines because of the way they are
placed in a magazine.
Cover linesThere are a number of cover lines distributed across
the page. The colours of the alphabets of the cover
lines differ from one another which symbolise that they
are unique and all different topics. These cover lines
are demonstrating the different articles in the
magazine. E.g. The five minute appetizer is something
different from “Beer- Braised Short Ribs” which is co
notated by the different colours used in them.
Barcode
The barcode of this magazine is positioned on the extreme where the
background is coloured grey. The barcode could not have been located
elsewhere on the magazine as it would destroy the customer’s view giving
the corner an unpleasant look. E.g. It would've been highly inappropriate to
place the barcode in the middle of the cover lines or below the Masthead.
12. Masthead
The masthead of this magazine is quite evident and clearly
shows that this is a travel magazine. A bold masthead like
this will help the target audience to find it easily amongst
other magazines. The date of issue of the magazine is also
mentioned right above the masthead. Alongside is the link of
a website which may refer to the magazines collaborators.
There’s also a small logo by the same name at the top. Right
below the masthead there’s a headline which shows the
appreciation to the magazines success for the third
consecutive year. This will serve as encouragement for the
audience who will ultimately buy it.
cover line
The main cover line is about the classic France which may mean that
the magazine revolves around France and its beautiful seaside.
There are more cover lines which relate to other European countries.
It also mention's about Japan which is located in the East. This adds
diversity to the magazine cover.
13. A variation of font has been used throughout the cover
page which adds to the diversity. Furthermore there is a
small description under each cover line which gives the
audience an idea about the features and the main
content of the magazine. This will help them buy the
magazine in accordance to their needs.
The front cover consists of a thick strip at the bottom of
the page which tells viewers about the guides the
magazine contains. In this connection the no.’6’ may
motivate the viewers to purchase the magazine as
some quantity has been specified. Moreover the word
“Free” also has a psychological impact on the
consumers as they may be tricked into believing they
may get something extra in the same price if they
purchase it. This is a marketing strategy used to
increase sales.
Does your front page follow usual codes
& conventions?
- The location of the main image has not been
specified which goes against the codes and
conventions. Although its a beautiful photo it might
be difficult for viewers to know what place the
magazine highlights. The main image is the most
important element in a magazine as it’s what
customers see first. So its essential to have an
appealing photo on the cover page to maximise
sales
- The magazine cover does not have a bar code. This
goes against the codes and conventions of the
magazine front page. However, it may be justified by
the fact that bar codes may have a psychological
impact on the minds of the viewer and may
discourage them to buy it.
The front page is a combination of colours
such as hot pink, white, blue and yellow.
These colours go along well and make the
font of the page look more appealing to the
eye
