MAGAZINE COVER ANALYSIS 1
MASTHEAD
The use of a large Serif font for the magazine title "VOGUE" reinforces the well known idea that the brands' target audience is a group of sophisticated individuals in the age bracket ranging from 20 years plus; a magazine targeted towards people under this age bracket would most likely use a bubbly or 'fun' font, and would use bright colours such as yellow or pink. Furthermore, the dark navy blue used for the title ties in with the whole colour scheme of this particular magazine front cover and the main image of Rihanna (such as with the word 'truth' written across her face). The navy blue also fits in with the whole theme of the cover: dark, rebellious and quite 'edgy'. Finally, the large size of the title makes it very clear that VOGUE is a well known, successful brand and wants the reader/ target audience to notice the magazine, making it more likely that they will buy it.
MAIN IMAGE
The main image is of Rihanna, a 32 year old famous R&B, pop, reggae, hiphop and dance artist. This powerful image was taken in 2020 and was praised by many. In the image, Rihanna is portrayed as a very strong individual, through her head on pose, the lettering across her face, and through the choice of clothing.
The word 'truth' written across her face in dark, tattoo-like lettering is ironically almost intimidating, due to the frightening or tough connotations society has imposed on those with tattoos (especially when on the face). Despite this, the angle at which the photo was taken makes her seem somewhat approachable, as she is neither 'higher' or 'lower' than the reader, implying that her status is equal to theirs (eye level). This makes the magazine even more appealing as the reader may feel Rihanna's beauty or success is reachable, being on the same level as her.
Another thing which is very prominent in the photo is the representation of her African heritage (being half Afro-Guyanese and half Afro-Barbadian), through wearing a durag during the photoshoot, which is typically very uncommon. She came up with the idea to showcase a part of African culture due to the arising racism across the globe, along with the fact that she herself had experienced racism growing up in Barbados. This representation of her culture appeals to a large population, as she was "the first person to ever wear a durag on the cover of the prestigious fashion publication".
Another very impactful part of this main image is the clothing she's dressed in. The contrast between the feminine lace black bodysuit and soft makeup compared to the very masculine oversized dark grey jacket, the tattooed face and the gold chains she's wearing around her neck creates the perfect balance between femininity and masculinity. This alone screams "I am my own CEO and I take no messing", and showcases perfectly a powerful, confident woman, who many aspire to be. This suggests the target audience of this particular magazine are women.
The word 'truth' written across her face in dark, tattoo-like lettering is ironically almost intimidating, due to the frightening or tough connotations society has imposed on those with tattoos (especially when on the face). Despite this, the angle at which the photo was taken makes her seem somewhat approachable, as she is neither 'higher' or 'lower' than the reader, implying that her status is equal to theirs (eye level). This makes the magazine even more appealing as the reader may feel Rihanna's beauty or success is reachable, being on the same level as her.
Another thing which is very prominent in the photo is the representation of her African heritage (being half Afro-Guyanese and half Afro-Barbadian), through wearing a durag during the photoshoot, which is typically very uncommon. She came up with the idea to showcase a part of African culture due to the arising racism across the globe, along with the fact that she herself had experienced racism growing up in Barbados. This representation of her culture appeals to a large population, as she was "the first person to ever wear a durag on the cover of the prestigious fashion publication".
Another very impactful part of this main image is the clothing she's dressed in. The contrast between the feminine lace black bodysuit and soft makeup compared to the very masculine oversized dark grey jacket, the tattooed face and the gold chains she's wearing around her neck creates the perfect balance between femininity and masculinity. This alone screams "I am my own CEO and I take no messing", and showcases perfectly a powerful, confident woman, who many aspire to be. This suggests the target audience of this particular magazine are women.
STYLE/ COVER
The style of this front cover is actually very simplistic, yet impactful. All of the colours and tones match perfectly: navy blues are used for the masthead and the lettering on her face, which match the tones of the blacks and greys for her clothing and for the cover lines. Then the warmer tones are used to compliment her skin colour and eye colour, such as the beige background, the gold jewellery, and the nude makeup. All of this makes the portrait of Rihanna stand out and be the main focus.
LAYOUT
The layout of the magazine cover has definitely been carefully crafted to assure Rihanna is 100% the main focus. First of all, her portrait has been placed in front of the masthead, which could suggest that the company isn't so much betting on selling loads of copies of the magazine because of their prestige, but rather because of the attention it'll get because who's actually on the cover. Additionally, it's clear to see that she is the only person on the cover, without anything else going on in the background or anything else drawing away from the attention of herself. To assure this was the case, the background is just one solid colour and her image has been enlarged to fill up the vast majority of the page. To further draw the readers attention to the star, the only thing over the top of her image is the headline, and even that is positioned at the bottom of the cover so that her face is clearly visible.
Additionally, in order to not take away further from the main image, all of the cover lines have only been written out with black text, rather than bright colours or obnoxious fonts. Although they're written out in bold, they have been shrunken down (along with the month of the magazine's release) and placed out of the way of the portrait, to not draw the attention away from the major message of the cover.
Additionally, in order to not take away further from the main image, all of the cover lines have only been written out with black text, rather than bright colours or obnoxious fonts. Although they're written out in bold, they have been shrunken down (along with the month of the magazine's release) and placed out of the way of the portrait, to not draw the attention away from the major message of the cover.
HEADLINE
The headline "REBEL! RIHANNA REWRITES THE RULES" is highly effective in catching a potential buyer of the magazine.
Although the colours used in the headline (white and red) aren't used anywhere else on the cover, it doesn't look out of place whatsoever, and the red actually ties in with the idea that Rihanna is dressed in a way that is supposed to appear provocative. To reinforce this, the word 'REBEL!' is written in a very large, bold, white font, and, along with the main image, automatically catches the readers eye. With a headline like this, everyone will automatically want to read on and figure out why she's being described as a 'rebel'.
Furthermore, the use of the line "RIHANNA REWRITES THE RULES" is extremely catching for a potential buyer of the magazine. This statement also ties in with the former idea that she is dressed as a powerful woman who paves the way for her own path, and takes no messing. This is highly impactful as perhaps this could be seen as a form of empowering women and showcasing the capability a woman can have.
Although the colours used in the headline (white and red) aren't used anywhere else on the cover, it doesn't look out of place whatsoever, and the red actually ties in with the idea that Rihanna is dressed in a way that is supposed to appear provocative. To reinforce this, the word 'REBEL!' is written in a very large, bold, white font, and, along with the main image, automatically catches the readers eye. With a headline like this, everyone will automatically want to read on and figure out why she's being described as a 'rebel'.
Furthermore, the use of the line "RIHANNA REWRITES THE RULES" is extremely catching for a potential buyer of the magazine. This statement also ties in with the former idea that she is dressed as a powerful woman who paves the way for her own path, and takes no messing. This is highly impactful as perhaps this could be seen as a form of empowering women and showcasing the capability a woman can have.
COVER LINES
The cover lines, although discreet, back up the idea that this magazine is in fact geared towards women. The largest out of the three reads "7 ways to update last season's dress". This is clearly meant to be the main hook out of the others, due to the bolder and larger text used. Additionally, the 7 is also emphasised, being a little bit more bold than the rest of the cover line; this is clearly a way that the producers of the magazine want to get the potential buyers interested. In one of the slightly smaller cover lines, reading "Summer style now: playful prints, goddess gowns, the lux white tux", we can see that both alliteration and rhyme has been used, possibly to grasp the attention of the target audience and to sound more appealing. It's noticeable that both of these cover lines are about fashion, which could explain the choice of the outgoing, trendy street wear Rihanna has been dressed in on the cover. It's essentially a way of saying "You can look like Rihanna too if you follow the fashion tips inside the magazine", making more people likely to buy the magazine (as Rihanna is known for her beauty and trendiness).
Finally, the last cover line "Meet the worlds youngest female Prime Minister", plays on the fact that Rihanna is symbolising powerful women, through her entire look and stance. This again reinforces the idea that the magazine is geared towards a specific female target audience, and is created in order to empower women, and is about the successes and achievements of high-standing females (such as the youngest female prime minister and the fact that Rihanna "rewrites the rules").
Finally, the last cover line "Meet the worlds youngest female Prime Minister", plays on the fact that Rihanna is symbolising powerful women, through her entire look and stance. This again reinforces the idea that the magazine is geared towards a specific female target audience, and is created in order to empower women, and is about the successes and achievements of high-standing females (such as the youngest female prime minister and the fact that Rihanna "rewrites the rules").
MAGAZINE COVER ANALYSIS 2
MASTHEAD
This magazine was published in November 2017. Like the previous magazine cover, this magazine belongs to 'VOGUE', a highly prestigious brand.
The colour pallet of the front cover is very feminine (in society's point of view), with the pink masthead matching the pink dress Claire Foy is modelling. This makes it seem as if this particular magazine is targeted towards females. Additionally, this colour is used against the green background to make the masthead really stand out; pink and green are opposites on the colour wheel, and so the pink in the magazine really pops out of the page, catching the viewers' eye.
Additionally, the masthead is in bold, all caps and is in a very large font size. This demonstrates that the masthead, being VOGUE, is actually enough to sell the magazine, due to the prestige and the popularity of it, and so the editors made sure to make it much larger than any other text (including the actual title of the magazine). The location of the masthead is also very effective: it is in the centre at the very top of the page.
The colour pallet of the front cover is very feminine (in society's point of view), with the pink masthead matching the pink dress Claire Foy is modelling. This makes it seem as if this particular magazine is targeted towards females. Additionally, this colour is used against the green background to make the masthead really stand out; pink and green are opposites on the colour wheel, and so the pink in the magazine really pops out of the page, catching the viewers' eye.
Additionally, the masthead is in bold, all caps and is in a very large font size. This demonstrates that the masthead, being VOGUE, is actually enough to sell the magazine, due to the prestige and the popularity of it, and so the editors made sure to make it much larger than any other text (including the actual title of the magazine). The location of the masthead is also very effective: it is in the centre at the very top of the page.
MAIN IMAGE
The main image is of Claire Foy, a 36 year old English actress. In contrast to Rihanna's headshot on the previous front cover, this is a full body shot of the actress, primarily showcasing her dress. This front cover is generally very feminine, and Claire Foy is demonstrated as fitting in with this label very well.
First of all, the pink dress seems to be the main focal point of the entire image. As mentioned before, the dimensions of the dress makes the reader more drawn to the top of the page, meaning the editors not only want the viewer to acknowledge the fact that the magazine belongs to VOGUE, but they also want you to be drawn to the actresses face, acknowledging who it is. Furthermore, the shape of the dress makes the actress appear very feminine: the uppermost part is very form fitting, whereas the bottom flairs outwards. This not only showcases her femininity, but is also very elegant (an idea which could be linked to her role as the Queen in the TV series 'The Crown'). Despite this, her hairstyle and her very minimal makeup does not tie in with the slickness of her dress: This could be a way of showing the public that the actress is actually a very transparent, very real individual, and could somewhat bring her down to our standards. Additionally, the lack of jewellery also ensures that no attention is taken away from the focal point, that is the dress.
Claire Foy is demonstrated as being very powerful, yet somewhat vulnerable in the image: the camera angle is clearly below her eye level, which could imply that she is in fact 'above' the reader, due to her fame, beauty, and her role on 'The Crown'. Despite this, her blank facial expression and the idea that she's clearly looking away from the camera, could imply that she is also quite vulnerable (perhaps to the media) or it could again tie in with her role as the Queen (as during the series, all of the harsh criticism towards the Queen becomes apparent).
Finally, her stance appears as if she's levelling herself, which could reinforce the idea that she's showcasing her vulnerability to the public. Or, this stance could be seen as if she's holding up the walls, making her actually much more powerful than the average person. This idea again correlates to her role as the Queen, as she's 'holding everything together' and preventing anything (the country in the Queens point of view) from falling apart. This makes the reader somewhat admire her, as she's demonstrating her strength as a person.
First of all, the pink dress seems to be the main focal point of the entire image. As mentioned before, the dimensions of the dress makes the reader more drawn to the top of the page, meaning the editors not only want the viewer to acknowledge the fact that the magazine belongs to VOGUE, but they also want you to be drawn to the actresses face, acknowledging who it is. Furthermore, the shape of the dress makes the actress appear very feminine: the uppermost part is very form fitting, whereas the bottom flairs outwards. This not only showcases her femininity, but is also very elegant (an idea which could be linked to her role as the Queen in the TV series 'The Crown'). Despite this, her hairstyle and her very minimal makeup does not tie in with the slickness of her dress: This could be a way of showing the public that the actress is actually a very transparent, very real individual, and could somewhat bring her down to our standards. Additionally, the lack of jewellery also ensures that no attention is taken away from the focal point, that is the dress.
Claire Foy is demonstrated as being very powerful, yet somewhat vulnerable in the image: the camera angle is clearly below her eye level, which could imply that she is in fact 'above' the reader, due to her fame, beauty, and her role on 'The Crown'. Despite this, her blank facial expression and the idea that she's clearly looking away from the camera, could imply that she is also quite vulnerable (perhaps to the media) or it could again tie in with her role as the Queen (as during the series, all of the harsh criticism towards the Queen becomes apparent).
Finally, her stance appears as if she's levelling herself, which could reinforce the idea that she's showcasing her vulnerability to the public. Or, this stance could be seen as if she's holding up the walls, making her actually much more powerful than the average person. This idea again correlates to her role as the Queen, as she's 'holding everything together' and preventing anything (the country in the Queens point of view) from falling apart. This makes the reader somewhat admire her, as she's demonstrating her strength as a person.
STYLE/ COVER
The style of this front cover is very elegant and impactful: The colour pallet used for the font cover makes the dress and the masthead stand out in particular. The fact that a green background was used, in contrast to the pink in the dress, masthead and cover lines, makes the rest of the cover stand out dramatically. Additionally, the nude pink used in her makeup ties everything together perfectly, making the actress appear to really belong on that front cover.
This cover ensures to makes the celebrity, Claire Foy, the soul focus of the magazine (as she is the only person showcased on the cover), which is very simplistic, yet appealing to a buyer as it doesn't look too dramatic or busy, making it appear easy to read.
This cover ensures to makes the celebrity, Claire Foy, the soul focus of the magazine (as she is the only person showcased on the cover), which is very simplistic, yet appealing to a buyer as it doesn't look too dramatic or busy, making it appear easy to read.
LAYOUT
The layout of this magazine has clearly been carefully crafted to ensure Claire Foy is the soul focus of the magazine: her full image has been placed in the centre of the page (with her leaning somewhat off centre). Because of the dimensions of this main image (the dress being much larger at the bottom of the page than it is at the top), this automatically draws the readers' eye up towards the top of the page and the masthead, which is clearly VOGUE's selling point (the brand name).
Additionally, we can see that although the background wall behind her is texturised, this does not take away from the main image of her as it is just one solid colour, with the presence of shadows from the wall of course. Following this idea, it's clear that they don't want attention to be drawn to the release month and and price of the magazine, as they're both written to the left of the masthead in small, black lettering. Furthermore, we can see that although the cover lines and headline are meant to stand out a little, they don't draw the attention away from the main image at all sue to their smaller size and the consistency in the colours used (white and baby pink).
Additionally, we can see that although the background wall behind her is texturised, this does not take away from the main image of her as it is just one solid colour, with the presence of shadows from the wall of course. Following this idea, it's clear that they don't want attention to be drawn to the release month and and price of the magazine, as they're both written to the left of the masthead in small, black lettering. Furthermore, we can see that although the cover lines and headline are meant to stand out a little, they don't draw the attention away from the main image at all sue to their smaller size and the consistency in the colours used (white and baby pink).
HEADLINE
The headline is in there centre at the bottom of the page and reads 'The return of GLAMOUR'.
This somewhat implies that the glamour only 'returned' because Claire Foy arrived and is on the cover of the magazine. This idea of being glamorous is reinforced through the actress's clothing, makeup and hair all being very sophisticated, and through the beauty of the actress herself.
This idea that Claire Foy is the definition of 'glamour' may increase the likelihood of people buying the magazine, as they want to know how reach her beauty standards. The minimal makeup on the cover also reinforces this, as the public may feel comforted thinking that her beauty may actually be somewhat reachable.
The headline is written in all white writing, with the 'GLAMOUR' being in all caps and being much larger than the rest of the text. This again helps exaggerate the notion that Claire Foy IS the definition of glamour.
This somewhat implies that the glamour only 'returned' because Claire Foy arrived and is on the cover of the magazine. This idea of being glamorous is reinforced through the actress's clothing, makeup and hair all being very sophisticated, and through the beauty of the actress herself.
This idea that Claire Foy is the definition of 'glamour' may increase the likelihood of people buying the magazine, as they want to know how reach her beauty standards. The minimal makeup on the cover also reinforces this, as the public may feel comforted thinking that her beauty may actually be somewhat reachable.
The headline is written in all white writing, with the 'GLAMOUR' being in all caps and being much larger than the rest of the text. This again helps exaggerate the notion that Claire Foy IS the definition of glamour.
COVER LINES
The majority of the cover lines on this front cover don't really stand out, and therefore don't take anything away from the image, masthead of headline. They're are all in either baby pink or white and are out of the way, making sure not to cover any part of the actress whatsoever.
However, the cover line at the top left of the page, reading 'Claire Foy and the power of The Crown', stands out much more than the others. Firstly, her name is much larger than the rest of the text, being pretty much the same size as the headline. This shows that VOGUE's primary focus was catching the reader's attention from showcasing the actress on the front cover. Additionally, the fact that they mentioned 'The Crown' backs up the points mentioned earlier on, stating that the elegance of the dress and the power-pose that she's adopted, tie in really well with her powerful role on the TV show.
The cover line below this is written in pink, all caps lettering and reads 'VOGUE'S GUIDE TO FABULOUS'. This once again reinforces the fact that VOGUE is using the fact that Claire Foy is showcased as 'fabulous' and 'glamorous', to sell the magazine and to get readers interested. The fact that they also included VOGUE in the cover line, even though the masthead already told us that the magazine belonged to them, just shows how much this brand relies on their prestigious reputation to help sell copies.
Contraception is also mentioned in the cover line that reads 'A BITTER PILL? What's next for contraception', which baks up the idea that this particular magazines' target audience is women in the age bracket of 20 years and over.
To further reinforce this, the cover line below this reads 'BEING A WOMAN IN TRUMP'S AMERICA', which is clearly targeted towards women. This cover line gets the reader interested, especially with the help of the stance of the actress in the main image. The idea that she appears vulnerable yet looks powerful at the same time, ties in perfectly in the idea of 'Trump's America', and the highly talked about suppression of women. This shows that although Trump may make it seem as if women are vulnerable, they're actually extremely powerful and 'hold up' a lot of the economy (shown by Claire Foy supporting the walls in the main image).
However, the cover line at the top left of the page, reading 'Claire Foy and the power of The Crown', stands out much more than the others. Firstly, her name is much larger than the rest of the text, being pretty much the same size as the headline. This shows that VOGUE's primary focus was catching the reader's attention from showcasing the actress on the front cover. Additionally, the fact that they mentioned 'The Crown' backs up the points mentioned earlier on, stating that the elegance of the dress and the power-pose that she's adopted, tie in really well with her powerful role on the TV show.
The cover line below this is written in pink, all caps lettering and reads 'VOGUE'S GUIDE TO FABULOUS'. This once again reinforces the fact that VOGUE is using the fact that Claire Foy is showcased as 'fabulous' and 'glamorous', to sell the magazine and to get readers interested. The fact that they also included VOGUE in the cover line, even though the masthead already told us that the magazine belonged to them, just shows how much this brand relies on their prestigious reputation to help sell copies.
Contraception is also mentioned in the cover line that reads 'A BITTER PILL? What's next for contraception', which baks up the idea that this particular magazines' target audience is women in the age bracket of 20 years and over.
To further reinforce this, the cover line below this reads 'BEING A WOMAN IN TRUMP'S AMERICA', which is clearly targeted towards women. This cover line gets the reader interested, especially with the help of the stance of the actress in the main image. The idea that she appears vulnerable yet looks powerful at the same time, ties in perfectly in the idea of 'Trump's America', and the highly talked about suppression of women. This shows that although Trump may make it seem as if women are vulnerable, they're actually extremely powerful and 'hold up' a lot of the economy (shown by Claire Foy supporting the walls in the main image).
DOUBLE PAGE SPREAD ANALYSIS 1
This two page spread is overall very sophisticated. The main image is of Adele, who was then a 24 year old, English singer-songwriter. The single image takes up over half the page, which would be a way the editors attempted to catch peoples attention, especially her fans. By using a single headshot of Adele, it makes it clear to the reader that she is in fact the focus of this particular page, thereby making the people who admire her want to read on. Furthermore, the fact that she's looking away from the camera, and not making direct eye contact with the reader, could be an indication that she's either hiding something (making the spread more intriguing) or that she's 'above' the reader and has better things to be doing with her time. This signifies the 'importance' and higher status of the celebrity. Despite this, she is also somewhat eye level with the camera lens, which could, to some extent, signify that the reader is capable of reaching her success, therefore this could also be seen as 'inspiring'.
The colour scheme of the two page spread is also very impactful. The fact that the entire two pages are in black and white, as opposed to having bright colours and 'fun' images, shows that this particular magazine is targeted towards the more sophisticated audience, perhaps in an age bracket ranging from 20 years plus.
The headline, 'The Triumph of Adele' is also extremely catching to the reader. The word 'Triumph' shows the reader that Adele is successful, powerful and makes the reader want to look up to her. Additionally, the use of a black Serif font reinforces the idea that this magazine is sophisticated and targeted at an older audience. The size of the headline, being much larger than the rest of the text, as well as the size of her headshot also show her importance as an artist. Her name in the headline is also slightly larger than the other words and is at her eye level, which again is a way of catching the reader's attention; these two pages scream Adele.
The subtitle, 'WOMEN WHO ROCK 2012' not only shows us that this was clearly published in 2012, but it also tells us that Adele is one of those women. Additionally, the use of the plural 'women' in the subtitle could be a way of indicating that there are more of these magazines, potentially making the reader want to buy more, out of curiosity.
Finally, the fact that there is hardly any text over these two pages, adds to the sophisticated, minimalist layout, which again appeals to an older, more educated, audience. Furthermore, the use of a very large, bold letter at the beginning of the article (which resembles the letters in the headline) draws the reader to begin reading. It's clear that the article begins with ''I', meaning it's likely to be an actual quote from Adele, again intriguing the audience. Additionally, this whole layout can be compared to the very similar layout of an older newspaper, which again could be a way of appealing to an older audience.
Overall, this two page spread has been made to look very sophisticated, with Adele being the soul focus.
The colour scheme of the two page spread is also very impactful. The fact that the entire two pages are in black and white, as opposed to having bright colours and 'fun' images, shows that this particular magazine is targeted towards the more sophisticated audience, perhaps in an age bracket ranging from 20 years plus.
The headline, 'The Triumph of Adele' is also extremely catching to the reader. The word 'Triumph' shows the reader that Adele is successful, powerful and makes the reader want to look up to her. Additionally, the use of a black Serif font reinforces the idea that this magazine is sophisticated and targeted at an older audience. The size of the headline, being much larger than the rest of the text, as well as the size of her headshot also show her importance as an artist. Her name in the headline is also slightly larger than the other words and is at her eye level, which again is a way of catching the reader's attention; these two pages scream Adele.
The subtitle, 'WOMEN WHO ROCK 2012' not only shows us that this was clearly published in 2012, but it also tells us that Adele is one of those women. Additionally, the use of the plural 'women' in the subtitle could be a way of indicating that there are more of these magazines, potentially making the reader want to buy more, out of curiosity.
Finally, the fact that there is hardly any text over these two pages, adds to the sophisticated, minimalist layout, which again appeals to an older, more educated, audience. Furthermore, the use of a very large, bold letter at the beginning of the article (which resembles the letters in the headline) draws the reader to begin reading. It's clear that the article begins with ''I', meaning it's likely to be an actual quote from Adele, again intriguing the audience. Additionally, this whole layout can be compared to the very similar layout of an older newspaper, which again could be a way of appealing to an older audience.
Overall, this two page spread has been made to look very sophisticated, with Adele being the soul focus.
DOUBLE PAGE SPREAD ANALYSIS 2
This double page spread has clearly been very well thought out, and therefore has a huge impact at getting a message across, as well as catching the readers eye.
The main focus of this spread is clearly the actress Leighton Meester, known as 'Blaire Waldorf' on the American TV series, 'Gossip Girl'. Her headshot image covers half the page, which is the magazines way of telling the public that she is important. This appeals especially to fans of the show, which is a large population.
Regarding the colour scheme, the black and white nature of the spread indicates a sense of sophistication, telling us that this magazine is more geared towards a more mature, older generation. The image being black and white however, also somewhat showcases the actresses vulnerability, along with the solemn downwards look on her face. The fact that Leighton Meester isn't making direct eye contact with the reader could imply she has something to hide and that she is intimidated by the public/ media (which is reinforced by the headline 'THE changing woman').
Additionally, the fact that she's wearing a full face of makeup, could again imply that she's hiding, perhaps behind an image of a person she wants to be or wants to appear as to the public (perhaps could be linking to the character she plays on TV). However despite this, her hairstyle does not fit in with the sleek, dramatic look she portrays though her makeup. Her hair is in a messy topknot, with flyaways and frizz. This in some ways shows the reader that she's real and that she's human, contrast to what we're made to believe, again making her somewhat vulnerable.
Another clear point to make about this particular image is her lack of clothing. This once again reinforces the whole idea of her vulnerability; she is bare, completely see-through to the public (an open book almost). This aspect also ties in a lot with the headline, 'THE changing woman': This could be seen as a way of her 'stripping away' all that was (a cleanse of her past perhaps), and preparing herself of the 'change' that is to come.
Finally, this image also brings a lot of attention to the actress's tattoo, a swallow. The swallow could be a way to symbolise her high aims and ambitions as an actress, musician and becoming successful woman. This could actually be seen as a way she is connecting with the reader, by bringing herself down to our 'level'; although she is already successful and had a huge part in creating a well known TV series, she still has aims she wants to accomplish... She's still finding out who she is.
On the other page, the word 'THE' in the headline is the largest word on the whole spread, and is all caps in a bold, black text. This not only brings the readers attention to the beginning of the article, but it also accentuates that fact that Leighton Meester is THE 'changing woman', and should be known for that. The rest of the headline, 'changing woman', is still in bold lettering, but a more feminine serif font is used , as if to emphasise 'woman'.
Finally, the subtitle reads 'The gossip girl you love to hate Leighton Meester has an upcoming album and a hot boyfriend'. This idea of the public 'loving to hate her' once more reinforces the vulnerability she portrays in the image, and reinforces the idea that she's hiding from the media (by avoiding eye contact with the camera). Another point to make is the fact that her name is the only wording that's in bold. This helps inform the reader that this whole article is going to be about her (which is also given away by the bold text 'INTERVIEW' in the told left hand corner), which makes them want to read on; people generally want to know the latest gossip on well known celebrities. Furthermore, the mention of a 'hot' boyfriend would also be a huge hook on the public, for this very reason.
The main focus of this spread is clearly the actress Leighton Meester, known as 'Blaire Waldorf' on the American TV series, 'Gossip Girl'. Her headshot image covers half the page, which is the magazines way of telling the public that she is important. This appeals especially to fans of the show, which is a large population.
Regarding the colour scheme, the black and white nature of the spread indicates a sense of sophistication, telling us that this magazine is more geared towards a more mature, older generation. The image being black and white however, also somewhat showcases the actresses vulnerability, along with the solemn downwards look on her face. The fact that Leighton Meester isn't making direct eye contact with the reader could imply she has something to hide and that she is intimidated by the public/ media (which is reinforced by the headline 'THE changing woman').
Additionally, the fact that she's wearing a full face of makeup, could again imply that she's hiding, perhaps behind an image of a person she wants to be or wants to appear as to the public (perhaps could be linking to the character she plays on TV). However despite this, her hairstyle does not fit in with the sleek, dramatic look she portrays though her makeup. Her hair is in a messy topknot, with flyaways and frizz. This in some ways shows the reader that she's real and that she's human, contrast to what we're made to believe, again making her somewhat vulnerable.
Another clear point to make about this particular image is her lack of clothing. This once again reinforces the whole idea of her vulnerability; she is bare, completely see-through to the public (an open book almost). This aspect also ties in a lot with the headline, 'THE changing woman': This could be seen as a way of her 'stripping away' all that was (a cleanse of her past perhaps), and preparing herself of the 'change' that is to come.
Finally, this image also brings a lot of attention to the actress's tattoo, a swallow. The swallow could be a way to symbolise her high aims and ambitions as an actress, musician and becoming successful woman. This could actually be seen as a way she is connecting with the reader, by bringing herself down to our 'level'; although she is already successful and had a huge part in creating a well known TV series, she still has aims she wants to accomplish... She's still finding out who she is.
On the other page, the word 'THE' in the headline is the largest word on the whole spread, and is all caps in a bold, black text. This not only brings the readers attention to the beginning of the article, but it also accentuates that fact that Leighton Meester is THE 'changing woman', and should be known for that. The rest of the headline, 'changing woman', is still in bold lettering, but a more feminine serif font is used , as if to emphasise 'woman'.
Finally, the subtitle reads 'The gossip girl you love to hate Leighton Meester has an upcoming album and a hot boyfriend'. This idea of the public 'loving to hate her' once more reinforces the vulnerability she portrays in the image, and reinforces the idea that she's hiding from the media (by avoiding eye contact with the camera). Another point to make is the fact that her name is the only wording that's in bold. This helps inform the reader that this whole article is going to be about her (which is also given away by the bold text 'INTERVIEW' in the told left hand corner), which makes them want to read on; people generally want to know the latest gossip on well known celebrities. Furthermore, the mention of a 'hot' boyfriend would also be a huge hook on the public, for this very reason.
AUDIENCE PROFILE
NAME. Lilly Thomson
AGE. 21
PROFESSION. An intern, and an undergraduate fashion design student (at Polimoda, Florence, Italy).
SOCIAL GROUP. Lilly belongs to the social group E; she’s an undergraduate university student with an internship at the local fashion designers.
INTERESTS. Lilly adores fashion. She has made her own clothes since she was just 14 years old, with scrap material fount at thrift stores. She loves upcycling anything she can find, and her friends constantly rely on her to alter their clothing. Because of this, she’s managed to make a little bit of money, as she charges a certain amount per item being altered.
As you can imagine, Lilly is also extremely up to date with all the latest fashion trends, she always has her hair and nails seen to every six weeks, has a total of 9 piercings, and she has a monthly subscription to the magazine ‘VOGUE’, meaning she gets sent the latest magazines and fashion tips.
Additionally, Lilly is extremely conscious about her carbon footprint, and volunteers at conservation centres and little picks any chance she gets.
LIKES/DISLIKES. Lilly’s whole life is fashion, although she despises the fast fashion industry. The last time she bought something from a high-end fast fashion shop was over 8 years ago, and she’s vowed to never return to her old ways. She never online shops, unless it is something from a 100% eco-friendly brand, she always gets her fruit and veg from local farmers markets (as opposed to big brand supermarkets), and she says she’ll never touch another plastic bag in her life.
Furthermore, Lilly makes all her own soaps/ detergents from natural ingredients, which is another one of her ways to reduce her carbon footprint… She’s an activist and a huge environmentalist.
Despite all this, to her annoyance, she drives a petrol-run car; she couldn’t afford an electrical due to the small wage she’s earning from her tailoring efforts.
HOME LIFE. Lilly shares a semi-detached house with her boyfriend, Carlos, and with 4 of her other friends (who are all also at university). Lilly’s parents bought this house for her, although the other 5 that live with her provide a monthly rent, in order to help pay the mortgage. Everyone in the house gets along, although they can become slightly irritated with Lilly’s ‘save the planet’ mindset.
RELATIONSHIPS. Lilly’s closest friends are those she shares her accommodation with, and they do absolutely everything together. She’s been with her boyfriend for 2 years, and she met the others during her first year at university (3 years ago). Together, they see each other as family, which she loves.
Since moving away from the UK, Lilly has kept a great relationship with her mum and younger sister, who just turned 17, and she flies over to visit them any chance she gets… although she despises the amount of pollution airplanes produce. Lilly’s father unfortunately passed away before she finished her A levels, although she knows he’d be proud of all that she’s achieved.
ASPIRATIONS. Lilly’s absolute dream is to become a high-end, eco-friendly fashion designer, and hopes to one day have her own clothing line. She hopes one day, her name will be remembered. She hopes one day, fellow aspiring fashion-designers will look up to her just as she’s looked up to people like Alexander McQueen and Christian Dior all her life.
Her main goal, however, is to reduce the impact fast fashion has on the environment. She hopes one day, people will see her brand, and decide that they too care about the planet and want to follow in her footsteps to reducing their carbon footprints. Because of this, she’s already decided that a huge percentage of the income from her clothing line collection will go to conservation efforts, such as ‘4 ocean’.
MEDIA CONSUMPTION. Lilly loves watching things like reality TV shows, such as ‘Next in Fashion’, ‘Styling Hollywood’ and ‘Queer Eye’, which, as you can tell, are all fashion/ beauty related! She also does enjoy the odd medical drama, or even supernatural shows. Despite this, her favourite movie of all time is, and will always be, the 1946 classic ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’.
As mentioned before, Lilly also has a monthly subscription to ‘VOGUE’, which is by far her favourite magazine at the moment.
Music wise, Lilly loves all things indie. She loves listening to Harry Styles, Rex Orange County and Clairo. However, that being said, she is an old soul through and through; she loves The Beatles, Aretha Franklin, Roy Orbison, Bing Crosby, Louis Armstrong and so much more.
SPORT. Contrast to what many believe, Lilly actually loves sport. She plays netball for the local university team, and competes in marathons to raise money for charity… Her worst nightmare is sitting still all day.
AGE. 21
PROFESSION. An intern, and an undergraduate fashion design student (at Polimoda, Florence, Italy).
SOCIAL GROUP. Lilly belongs to the social group E; she’s an undergraduate university student with an internship at the local fashion designers.
INTERESTS. Lilly adores fashion. She has made her own clothes since she was just 14 years old, with scrap material fount at thrift stores. She loves upcycling anything she can find, and her friends constantly rely on her to alter their clothing. Because of this, she’s managed to make a little bit of money, as she charges a certain amount per item being altered.
As you can imagine, Lilly is also extremely up to date with all the latest fashion trends, she always has her hair and nails seen to every six weeks, has a total of 9 piercings, and she has a monthly subscription to the magazine ‘VOGUE’, meaning she gets sent the latest magazines and fashion tips.
Additionally, Lilly is extremely conscious about her carbon footprint, and volunteers at conservation centres and little picks any chance she gets.
LIKES/DISLIKES. Lilly’s whole life is fashion, although she despises the fast fashion industry. The last time she bought something from a high-end fast fashion shop was over 8 years ago, and she’s vowed to never return to her old ways. She never online shops, unless it is something from a 100% eco-friendly brand, she always gets her fruit and veg from local farmers markets (as opposed to big brand supermarkets), and she says she’ll never touch another plastic bag in her life.
Furthermore, Lilly makes all her own soaps/ detergents from natural ingredients, which is another one of her ways to reduce her carbon footprint… She’s an activist and a huge environmentalist.
Despite all this, to her annoyance, she drives a petrol-run car; she couldn’t afford an electrical due to the small wage she’s earning from her tailoring efforts.
HOME LIFE. Lilly shares a semi-detached house with her boyfriend, Carlos, and with 4 of her other friends (who are all also at university). Lilly’s parents bought this house for her, although the other 5 that live with her provide a monthly rent, in order to help pay the mortgage. Everyone in the house gets along, although they can become slightly irritated with Lilly’s ‘save the planet’ mindset.
RELATIONSHIPS. Lilly’s closest friends are those she shares her accommodation with, and they do absolutely everything together. She’s been with her boyfriend for 2 years, and she met the others during her first year at university (3 years ago). Together, they see each other as family, which she loves.
Since moving away from the UK, Lilly has kept a great relationship with her mum and younger sister, who just turned 17, and she flies over to visit them any chance she gets… although she despises the amount of pollution airplanes produce. Lilly’s father unfortunately passed away before she finished her A levels, although she knows he’d be proud of all that she’s achieved.
ASPIRATIONS. Lilly’s absolute dream is to become a high-end, eco-friendly fashion designer, and hopes to one day have her own clothing line. She hopes one day, her name will be remembered. She hopes one day, fellow aspiring fashion-designers will look up to her just as she’s looked up to people like Alexander McQueen and Christian Dior all her life.
Her main goal, however, is to reduce the impact fast fashion has on the environment. She hopes one day, people will see her brand, and decide that they too care about the planet and want to follow in her footsteps to reducing their carbon footprints. Because of this, she’s already decided that a huge percentage of the income from her clothing line collection will go to conservation efforts, such as ‘4 ocean’.
MEDIA CONSUMPTION. Lilly loves watching things like reality TV shows, such as ‘Next in Fashion’, ‘Styling Hollywood’ and ‘Queer Eye’, which, as you can tell, are all fashion/ beauty related! She also does enjoy the odd medical drama, or even supernatural shows. Despite this, her favourite movie of all time is, and will always be, the 1946 classic ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’.
As mentioned before, Lilly also has a monthly subscription to ‘VOGUE’, which is by far her favourite magazine at the moment.
Music wise, Lilly loves all things indie. She loves listening to Harry Styles, Rex Orange County and Clairo. However, that being said, she is an old soul through and through; she loves The Beatles, Aretha Franklin, Roy Orbison, Bing Crosby, Louis Armstrong and so much more.
SPORT. Contrast to what many believe, Lilly actually loves sport. She plays netball for the local university team, and competes in marathons to raise money for charity… Her worst nightmare is sitting still all day.
FOCUS GROUP
Amanda, a 19 year old Spanish student, activist and environmentalist. Amanda has lived in both England and Spain, and is a big believer in equality. Amanda is quite studious and enjoys reading about the latest scientific discoveries, and enjoys learning about how she can benefit the planet and human race. She's extremely ambitious, headstrong and determined. She would never tolerate someone's hate comments, or racist slurs and she will always stand up for what she believes in. The lack of cultural representation in the media often weighs on Amanda's heart, and she does everything in her power to make everyone feel equal.
Faith, an 18 year old student from Kenya, loves everything fashion. She's an extremely bubbly person who seems to be smiling 24/7, and never fails to make everyone she's around laugh. Faith intends to go to university next year. She loves music, dancing, hanging out with friends every chance she gets, and she loves finding out about other peoples' cultures. Faith comes from African decent and so she also has a lot to say about her own culture. Faith is often aggravated by the lack of representation of other nationalities (other than the highly represented western beauty). Faith cares for people tremendously and will always help someone out.
Millie, a 21 year old second year university student, is a very soft spoken, kind person. She often buys fashion/ beauty magazines, as she loves to be kept in the loop of all the latest fashion trends, and with all the latest gossip in Hollywood. Millie enjoys listening to music and loves watching reality TV shows (most of which are in fact fashion-related)... Because of this, she now may even consider herself a 'fashion guru'. Millie spends a lot of time on social media, and follows a large proportion of influencers, meaning she's always up to date on the latest trends and is always the first to know of any celebrity drama.
Pia, an 18 year old student from Australia is a huge music and fashion lover, who will talk about the lack of cultural representation throughout the media as often as she can. She is a giant believer in the equal representation of ALL cultures, and the idea of 'beauty standards' aggravates her massively. Pia loves summer, hanging out with friends, and binge watching TV shows. She's so caring and will honestly drop anything to help someone out, which is what makes her such a good friend to people. Pia could rant for hours about discrimination within the media, the fast fashion industry and the injustice in the world.
Jane, a 50 year old headmistress, has travelled the world and has been exposed to many different cultures. Jane spends a lot of her free time outdoors, and is a big nature lover; she enjoys hikes, being surrounded by forest, and loves exploring different customs. However, athough she loves to learn about the different fashion and beauty standards of foreign countries, she is often stuck on what to wear. She appreciates any advise people give her, and openly tries anything she's offered. She's a very open minded individual and isn't one to reject an opportunity.
Faith, an 18 year old student from Kenya, loves everything fashion. She's an extremely bubbly person who seems to be smiling 24/7, and never fails to make everyone she's around laugh. Faith intends to go to university next year. She loves music, dancing, hanging out with friends every chance she gets, and she loves finding out about other peoples' cultures. Faith comes from African decent and so she also has a lot to say about her own culture. Faith is often aggravated by the lack of representation of other nationalities (other than the highly represented western beauty). Faith cares for people tremendously and will always help someone out.
Millie, a 21 year old second year university student, is a very soft spoken, kind person. She often buys fashion/ beauty magazines, as she loves to be kept in the loop of all the latest fashion trends, and with all the latest gossip in Hollywood. Millie enjoys listening to music and loves watching reality TV shows (most of which are in fact fashion-related)... Because of this, she now may even consider herself a 'fashion guru'. Millie spends a lot of time on social media, and follows a large proportion of influencers, meaning she's always up to date on the latest trends and is always the first to know of any celebrity drama.
Pia, an 18 year old student from Australia is a huge music and fashion lover, who will talk about the lack of cultural representation throughout the media as often as she can. She is a giant believer in the equal representation of ALL cultures, and the idea of 'beauty standards' aggravates her massively. Pia loves summer, hanging out with friends, and binge watching TV shows. She's so caring and will honestly drop anything to help someone out, which is what makes her such a good friend to people. Pia could rant for hours about discrimination within the media, the fast fashion industry and the injustice in the world.
Jane, a 50 year old headmistress, has travelled the world and has been exposed to many different cultures. Jane spends a lot of her free time outdoors, and is a big nature lover; she enjoys hikes, being surrounded by forest, and loves exploring different customs. However, athough she loves to learn about the different fashion and beauty standards of foreign countries, she is often stuck on what to wear. She appreciates any advise people give her, and openly tries anything she's offered. She's a very open minded individual and isn't one to reject an opportunity.
1. Do you think it's important for a magazine to showcase diversity? (e.g. fashion/ beauty standards from all over the world)
Amanda: I do think it's important because obviously a lot of people from different ethnic backgrounds or different races look at the same magazines. And so if they see someone who belongs to their particular group/ ethnicity, that encourages them to aspire to be whatever they want to be, or whatever they see on that particular magazine. The fact that not of ethnic minority groups are represented on the covers of magazines or within the magazine itself, is extremely degrading. It is very important, and even though people don't realise it, it does have a huge impact subconsciously.
Faith: Yes, I really do believe that it is important. This is mainly because we live in a world where literally everyone is different, coming from different races, backgrounds and cultures. Therefore, for a person to feel represented in the media, rather than be made to feel like they look wrong or the way they dress is wrong, is extremely powerful, especially in today's society.
Millie: I do think it's very good that a magazine shows diversity and all beauty standards because it's a good way to communicate with the public and a good way to get a message out on a large scale, since there's a high probability that a lot of people will see it.
Pia: I definitely believe that it's important for magazines to showcase different cultures and different standards of beauty around the world, because not literally every country contains different ethnic groups, and so every country has a different 'beauty standard'. And so, diversity is a great way to show how culture interprets beauty. Additionally, showing the way that different people are perceived in different cultures is a huge factor in creating 'standards' within the beauty industry, since every culture perceives beauty in a different way. For example, in India, their beauty standards are completely different to those of LA, so its important for magazines to exhibit all different cultures.
Jane: Yes, definitely.It's very important to have diversity and ethnicity around the world, because fashions shouldn't be about just one country, it should be about the representation of all countries. Also, a lot of fashion from around the world are now becoming very popular and people want to dress in things out of their culture (and comfort zone), so I think the fashion industry will sell more if it represents diversity.
2. Do minimalistic, sophisticated magazine front covers appeal to you more, or do you prefer those with colourful, bright headlines?
Amanda: I think I probably prefer minimalistic covers. When you see a magazine that's really bright, with a lot of pictures on the front, I don't really find that appealing at all, since I can't really see what the magazine is actually going to be about. Whereas if a front cover has a single large picture, with a single sentence or so, I personally find that a lot more appealing, as it doesn't look as cluttered and it makes me want to carry on reading, (as you can actually somewhat make out what it's going to be about).
Faith: I personally prefer magazine front covers with a lot of colour, as they're eye catching and graphic. I don't really know the best way to describe it, but let's take a bee for instance. A bee is obviously going to be more attracted to the brightest, most vibrant flowers... yeah, well I'm that bee. I don't find monochrome, simplistic front covers very appealing to the eye, and therefore I feel like a more colourful one would draw more people in.
Millie: I honestly prefer colourful, bright headlines since they're more eye-catching, bold and appeal more to me more. I consider minimalistic covers, as a bit boring actually, since they're a lot more subtle and not as eye-catching to the reader. If a magazine is more colourful and more 'out there', I feel like a lot more readers would be drawn into buying it, rather than a dull, simplistic one.
Pia: Personally, it depends on what mood I'm in; sometimes I feel like catching up on the Hollywood gossip and what's going on in peoples lives, so I look for bright colourful magazine covers that have a lot going on, but other times I enjoy simply looking the photos of models and getting inspired by different fashion styles. So I honestly think that both, colourful and simplistic magazine covers, appeal to me equally depending on the day.
Jane: I think that different types of headlines clearly appeal to different types of people. I think generally the older you get, the more you prefer the sophisticated, minimalistic headlines, that say something important. So in my opinion, it's not necessarily how the headline looks, but it's more to do with the way it sounds (or the way the message is put across). Although that being said, I would have to say that sophisticated titles overall do appeal to me more.
3. What kind of articles do you look for first in a magazine? (e.g interviews with celebrities, styling tips, quizzes, etc.)
Amanda: Probably just something more factual/ non fiction, such as scientific research. I also enjoy baking, cooking, problem solving. I have to say, I'm not usually too interested in magazines revolving around the fashion or beauty industry per say, although if theres more of a sophisticated approach to it, and it fits in with the criteria that I prefer, shows diversity and showcases a wide range of body images, I'd definitely pick one up.
Faith: I honestly just look for quizzes, since they're the most interesting part of a magazine, in my opinion. I mean, I would like to look at the fashion pages, however almost all the time they show styles that don't really appeal to me, or a lot of the time they just make me feel self conscious... I don't think there's very much representation of different body types in the media.
Millie: The kind of articles I look for in a magazine are probably either the interviews or quizzes. I find quizzes such as those that tell you who your celebrity crush is for example really entertaining, whereas if a magazine is just filled with articles, I ind myself losing interest very quickly; the more quizzes there are, the longer I'm entertained. That being said, I also really love reading celebrity interviews, because who doesn't want to know all the latest gossip on the red carpet?
Pia: I really love photography, so in a magazine I generally look for something that's eye-catching and a bit different to what you usually see in most other magazines. At times however, I also really enjoy reading the articles that give me advise on health, fashion, relationships etc, since I always like to know how to better my style. I also really enjoy quizzes, and I obviously like reading interviews had with celebrities, since I've to know everything going on in the world of fame.
Jane: Personally, I really like magazine articles that look at styling tips and ideas on how to dress for my particular size and dress. I also like nature being incorporated into a magazine for example, as well as hearing about peoples experiences and travel. I have to say, I'm not too interested in interviews with celebrities, although I do like to hear about prominent people who are important in society. I'm more interested in hearing about important figures, such as the Royal family, the older generation of film stars or people who have just brought something of importance to life/ society I suppose.
4. Are you generally more drawn to pages with more text than images, or vice versa? (How much is too much writing for you to lose interest?)
Amanda: I honestly just think it's more to do with the content on the page than anything else. But obviously, if I'm provided with just a wall of text with no images, it's generally not as appealing as a page with at least one image. Although, in contrast, I don't really like when the whole page is just covered in images, since the text loses its meaning, since you would just focus on all the pictures and wouldn't really spend time thinking about/ processing what you've read. Too much text for me would be over a page or two pages of just continuous writing, with no images or nothing to refer back to. This kind of layout really makes your mind wander and so you're not actually getting anything from the magazine.
Faith: I personally don't like pages with a lot of writing, especially when the font size used is very small. I immediately find myself losing interest in whatever has been written when I see that the majority of a page is just small writing. Therefore, I honestly think a page should have a minimum of 4 small images. That way, the reader can stay interested, and the amount of text isn't too overwhelming.
Millie: I am typically draws to more image than text because it tells more of a story (in my opinion) when I have something to visualise and focus on. Additionally, when there's too much text, I find it can be quite overwhelming and I don't have the motivation to read through it all. However I also think that there should really be a balance: I personally prefer more images than text, although I do like to have a few lines of an article in my magazine, to help actually put the images into context.
Pia: I think I prefer magazines that have more images/ pictures than those with loads of writing. Although, I would say I honestly enjoy a bit of both; I enjoy reading the articles that also have images to showcase what it's actually talking about. I find being able to visualise what the article is telling you is the most enjoyable.
Jane: I like equal text and pictures. I think it's really important to have some really good images, and I think too much text bores people. I'm a very visual person, and therefore I like lots of diagrams and representation though imagery more than text. Personally, small text puts me off, and lots of text is boring; if you cover more than half the page in text, I think you will have lost the audience's interest.
5. What do you not like to see in magazines geared towards the beauty/ fashion industry? (What puts you off buying a magazine?)
Amanda: I really don't like to see things such as 'the ideal body types', and when a magazine refers to something that's considered a particular beauty standard. This kind of exclusion of other body types makes the reader feel as if they also need to pursue that particular beauty standard and buy the particular makeup that the models in the magazine were wearing, and follow their workout routines etc, or or else they're not considered pretty. Because of this, people feel as if they need to change in order to 'glow up', which goes against everything I believe in, and so I won't buy it. I'm also not interested at all in buying specific magazines that're simply filled with skinny white models, as opposed to including some sort of diversity.
Faith: I think the main thing that I really hate to see in magazines is the unrealistic body/ beauty standards that the majority of the media portrays. I also really hate the lack of diversity that is very prominent throughout the media, as it can really harm someones self esteem and confidence if your particular ethnic group is not getting the same amount of media coverage as others are. This lack of representation is a huge contributing factor to the development of eating disorders and the primary cause for people hating their appearance.
Millie: I don't like seeing, in the fashion and beauty industry, when the media tries to portray one type of standard of beauty as the only one that exists. It's globally known that the media typically portrays beauty as being skinny, and not many plus sized women (or men) are portrayed on front covers. I really disagree with this whole concept, since I truly believe everyone is beautiful in their own way, but because of the fashion industry's 'standards' people fall into a pit of becoming self conscious, and feeling as if they're not good enough if they don't fit in with the media's criteria. Everyone's beautiful, and the media should diversify their content, without a doubt.
Pia: What I really don't like to see in beauty magazines is what the media perceives as a specific picture perfect body type, perfect makeup etc. This whole mindset of there being only one 'perfect' ideal, creates a huge stigma around normal body types, and makes people feel extremely self conscious, which could potentially lead to the onset of self-loathing and the formation of certain eating disorders. The whole lack of representation throughout the media of other body types and other types of beauty, is extremely toxic and extremely detrimental to the mental health of many (especially young, teenage girls, who're still figuring themselves out).
Jane: I don't like anything that belittles women. I don't like things that makes them look as if they're simply 'sex symbols', and I think a woman should be made to look beautiful in a magazine. The many different kinds of beauty should be represented not through materialistic things, but rather though their facial expressions, and this shouldn't be subjected to one type of beautiful. So I suppose I don't like anything that accentuates a woman's chest, or when women are shown wearing really skimpy clothing, and overall just ,make a mockery of women. Lastly, one of the things that I really hate are headlines such as 'The worlds sexiest woman/ man', because I think beauty is in the eye of the beholder
Amanda: I do think it's important because obviously a lot of people from different ethnic backgrounds or different races look at the same magazines. And so if they see someone who belongs to their particular group/ ethnicity, that encourages them to aspire to be whatever they want to be, or whatever they see on that particular magazine. The fact that not of ethnic minority groups are represented on the covers of magazines or within the magazine itself, is extremely degrading. It is very important, and even though people don't realise it, it does have a huge impact subconsciously.
Faith: Yes, I really do believe that it is important. This is mainly because we live in a world where literally everyone is different, coming from different races, backgrounds and cultures. Therefore, for a person to feel represented in the media, rather than be made to feel like they look wrong or the way they dress is wrong, is extremely powerful, especially in today's society.
Millie: I do think it's very good that a magazine shows diversity and all beauty standards because it's a good way to communicate with the public and a good way to get a message out on a large scale, since there's a high probability that a lot of people will see it.
Pia: I definitely believe that it's important for magazines to showcase different cultures and different standards of beauty around the world, because not literally every country contains different ethnic groups, and so every country has a different 'beauty standard'. And so, diversity is a great way to show how culture interprets beauty. Additionally, showing the way that different people are perceived in different cultures is a huge factor in creating 'standards' within the beauty industry, since every culture perceives beauty in a different way. For example, in India, their beauty standards are completely different to those of LA, so its important for magazines to exhibit all different cultures.
Jane: Yes, definitely.It's very important to have diversity and ethnicity around the world, because fashions shouldn't be about just one country, it should be about the representation of all countries. Also, a lot of fashion from around the world are now becoming very popular and people want to dress in things out of their culture (and comfort zone), so I think the fashion industry will sell more if it represents diversity.
2. Do minimalistic, sophisticated magazine front covers appeal to you more, or do you prefer those with colourful, bright headlines?
Amanda: I think I probably prefer minimalistic covers. When you see a magazine that's really bright, with a lot of pictures on the front, I don't really find that appealing at all, since I can't really see what the magazine is actually going to be about. Whereas if a front cover has a single large picture, with a single sentence or so, I personally find that a lot more appealing, as it doesn't look as cluttered and it makes me want to carry on reading, (as you can actually somewhat make out what it's going to be about).
Faith: I personally prefer magazine front covers with a lot of colour, as they're eye catching and graphic. I don't really know the best way to describe it, but let's take a bee for instance. A bee is obviously going to be more attracted to the brightest, most vibrant flowers... yeah, well I'm that bee. I don't find monochrome, simplistic front covers very appealing to the eye, and therefore I feel like a more colourful one would draw more people in.
Millie: I honestly prefer colourful, bright headlines since they're more eye-catching, bold and appeal more to me more. I consider minimalistic covers, as a bit boring actually, since they're a lot more subtle and not as eye-catching to the reader. If a magazine is more colourful and more 'out there', I feel like a lot more readers would be drawn into buying it, rather than a dull, simplistic one.
Pia: Personally, it depends on what mood I'm in; sometimes I feel like catching up on the Hollywood gossip and what's going on in peoples lives, so I look for bright colourful magazine covers that have a lot going on, but other times I enjoy simply looking the photos of models and getting inspired by different fashion styles. So I honestly think that both, colourful and simplistic magazine covers, appeal to me equally depending on the day.
Jane: I think that different types of headlines clearly appeal to different types of people. I think generally the older you get, the more you prefer the sophisticated, minimalistic headlines, that say something important. So in my opinion, it's not necessarily how the headline looks, but it's more to do with the way it sounds (or the way the message is put across). Although that being said, I would have to say that sophisticated titles overall do appeal to me more.
3. What kind of articles do you look for first in a magazine? (e.g interviews with celebrities, styling tips, quizzes, etc.)
Amanda: Probably just something more factual/ non fiction, such as scientific research. I also enjoy baking, cooking, problem solving. I have to say, I'm not usually too interested in magazines revolving around the fashion or beauty industry per say, although if theres more of a sophisticated approach to it, and it fits in with the criteria that I prefer, shows diversity and showcases a wide range of body images, I'd definitely pick one up.
Faith: I honestly just look for quizzes, since they're the most interesting part of a magazine, in my opinion. I mean, I would like to look at the fashion pages, however almost all the time they show styles that don't really appeal to me, or a lot of the time they just make me feel self conscious... I don't think there's very much representation of different body types in the media.
Millie: The kind of articles I look for in a magazine are probably either the interviews or quizzes. I find quizzes such as those that tell you who your celebrity crush is for example really entertaining, whereas if a magazine is just filled with articles, I ind myself losing interest very quickly; the more quizzes there are, the longer I'm entertained. That being said, I also really love reading celebrity interviews, because who doesn't want to know all the latest gossip on the red carpet?
Pia: I really love photography, so in a magazine I generally look for something that's eye-catching and a bit different to what you usually see in most other magazines. At times however, I also really enjoy reading the articles that give me advise on health, fashion, relationships etc, since I always like to know how to better my style. I also really enjoy quizzes, and I obviously like reading interviews had with celebrities, since I've to know everything going on in the world of fame.
Jane: Personally, I really like magazine articles that look at styling tips and ideas on how to dress for my particular size and dress. I also like nature being incorporated into a magazine for example, as well as hearing about peoples experiences and travel. I have to say, I'm not too interested in interviews with celebrities, although I do like to hear about prominent people who are important in society. I'm more interested in hearing about important figures, such as the Royal family, the older generation of film stars or people who have just brought something of importance to life/ society I suppose.
4. Are you generally more drawn to pages with more text than images, or vice versa? (How much is too much writing for you to lose interest?)
Amanda: I honestly just think it's more to do with the content on the page than anything else. But obviously, if I'm provided with just a wall of text with no images, it's generally not as appealing as a page with at least one image. Although, in contrast, I don't really like when the whole page is just covered in images, since the text loses its meaning, since you would just focus on all the pictures and wouldn't really spend time thinking about/ processing what you've read. Too much text for me would be over a page or two pages of just continuous writing, with no images or nothing to refer back to. This kind of layout really makes your mind wander and so you're not actually getting anything from the magazine.
Faith: I personally don't like pages with a lot of writing, especially when the font size used is very small. I immediately find myself losing interest in whatever has been written when I see that the majority of a page is just small writing. Therefore, I honestly think a page should have a minimum of 4 small images. That way, the reader can stay interested, and the amount of text isn't too overwhelming.
Millie: I am typically draws to more image than text because it tells more of a story (in my opinion) when I have something to visualise and focus on. Additionally, when there's too much text, I find it can be quite overwhelming and I don't have the motivation to read through it all. However I also think that there should really be a balance: I personally prefer more images than text, although I do like to have a few lines of an article in my magazine, to help actually put the images into context.
Pia: I think I prefer magazines that have more images/ pictures than those with loads of writing. Although, I would say I honestly enjoy a bit of both; I enjoy reading the articles that also have images to showcase what it's actually talking about. I find being able to visualise what the article is telling you is the most enjoyable.
Jane: I like equal text and pictures. I think it's really important to have some really good images, and I think too much text bores people. I'm a very visual person, and therefore I like lots of diagrams and representation though imagery more than text. Personally, small text puts me off, and lots of text is boring; if you cover more than half the page in text, I think you will have lost the audience's interest.
5. What do you not like to see in magazines geared towards the beauty/ fashion industry? (What puts you off buying a magazine?)
Amanda: I really don't like to see things such as 'the ideal body types', and when a magazine refers to something that's considered a particular beauty standard. This kind of exclusion of other body types makes the reader feel as if they also need to pursue that particular beauty standard and buy the particular makeup that the models in the magazine were wearing, and follow their workout routines etc, or or else they're not considered pretty. Because of this, people feel as if they need to change in order to 'glow up', which goes against everything I believe in, and so I won't buy it. I'm also not interested at all in buying specific magazines that're simply filled with skinny white models, as opposed to including some sort of diversity.
Faith: I think the main thing that I really hate to see in magazines is the unrealistic body/ beauty standards that the majority of the media portrays. I also really hate the lack of diversity that is very prominent throughout the media, as it can really harm someones self esteem and confidence if your particular ethnic group is not getting the same amount of media coverage as others are. This lack of representation is a huge contributing factor to the development of eating disorders and the primary cause for people hating their appearance.
Millie: I don't like seeing, in the fashion and beauty industry, when the media tries to portray one type of standard of beauty as the only one that exists. It's globally known that the media typically portrays beauty as being skinny, and not many plus sized women (or men) are portrayed on front covers. I really disagree with this whole concept, since I truly believe everyone is beautiful in their own way, but because of the fashion industry's 'standards' people fall into a pit of becoming self conscious, and feeling as if they're not good enough if they don't fit in with the media's criteria. Everyone's beautiful, and the media should diversify their content, without a doubt.
Pia: What I really don't like to see in beauty magazines is what the media perceives as a specific picture perfect body type, perfect makeup etc. This whole mindset of there being only one 'perfect' ideal, creates a huge stigma around normal body types, and makes people feel extremely self conscious, which could potentially lead to the onset of self-loathing and the formation of certain eating disorders. The whole lack of representation throughout the media of other body types and other types of beauty, is extremely toxic and extremely detrimental to the mental health of many (especially young, teenage girls, who're still figuring themselves out).
Jane: I don't like anything that belittles women. I don't like things that makes them look as if they're simply 'sex symbols', and I think a woman should be made to look beautiful in a magazine. The many different kinds of beauty should be represented not through materialistic things, but rather though their facial expressions, and this shouldn't be subjected to one type of beautiful. So I suppose I don't like anything that accentuates a woman's chest, or when women are shown wearing really skimpy clothing, and overall just ,make a mockery of women. Lastly, one of the things that I really hate are headlines such as 'The worlds sexiest woman/ man', because I think beauty is in the eye of the beholder
FOCUS GROUP ANALYSIS
From the responses I got from the focus group questions above, I have noticed a rather common mindset towards the styles and content within magazines.
For example, in question one, 'Do you think it's important for a magazine to showcase diversity? (e.g. fashion/ beauty standards from all over the world)', everyone of the responses I received were more or less along the same lines: that the magazine most definitely should include beauty standards and fashion trends from all over the world. Even though I had already planned to do this, I have come to the conclusion that much more people are likely to buy a magazine if it's seen to be diverse. I will therefore include the typical 'beauty standards' and the different popular fashion styles of many different races/ ethnicities.
The responses for question two, 'Do minimalistic, sophisticated magazine front covers appeal to you more, or do you prefer those with colourful, bright headlines?' were slightly inconclusive; two people said they prefer minimalistic, two others said they prefer colourful, and one person said they didn't have a preference. Therefore, I've decided I will include aspects of both: I may just use one or two images for the front, but I'll make the headline and cover lines be more colourful, yet minimalistic at the same time.
Question three, 'What kind of articles do you look for in a magazine?' got me quite a bit of variation, so I have a lot to work with. A lot of the responses said they enjoy things like quizzes, styling tips and a few celebrity interviews. However, I have actually decided to make my magazine a bit more broad and make it more of a well being/ beauty/ fashion magazine. I will therefore include aspects of fashion and beauty obviously, but I will also include self-care tips (such as the health benefits of being surrounded by nature etc.) that have been backed by factual evidence, as well as some photographs that showcase different cultures.
Question four, 'Are you generally more drawn to mages with more text than images, or vice versa?', brought a lot of clarity to how I'm going to lay out my magazine. I have decided that over a two page spread, I will not include more than a page of small writing, as the majority of my focus group made it clear that they lose interest very quickly once there's pages of writing. I will therefore include quite a few images (such as of the things mentioned before).
Finally, question five, 'What do you not like to see in magazines geared towards the beauty/ fashion industry?' also gave me a lot of guidance. Although I already had this in mind, my focus group made it clear to me that I'm not going to including anything in my magazine that could be seen as 'the ideal body type' etc. I will therefore include a variation of body types, a variation of styles (to fit all cultures) and a variation of ethnicity. My magazine will be more revolved around showcasing the idea of universal/ natural beauty, and not through the use of cosmetics, supplements or surgery. I have 100% decided that I will not be incorporating anything that will encourage things such as toxic diet culture or articles encouraging people that they have to change their appearance to 'fit in'.
For example, in question one, 'Do you think it's important for a magazine to showcase diversity? (e.g. fashion/ beauty standards from all over the world)', everyone of the responses I received were more or less along the same lines: that the magazine most definitely should include beauty standards and fashion trends from all over the world. Even though I had already planned to do this, I have come to the conclusion that much more people are likely to buy a magazine if it's seen to be diverse. I will therefore include the typical 'beauty standards' and the different popular fashion styles of many different races/ ethnicities.
The responses for question two, 'Do minimalistic, sophisticated magazine front covers appeal to you more, or do you prefer those with colourful, bright headlines?' were slightly inconclusive; two people said they prefer minimalistic, two others said they prefer colourful, and one person said they didn't have a preference. Therefore, I've decided I will include aspects of both: I may just use one or two images for the front, but I'll make the headline and cover lines be more colourful, yet minimalistic at the same time.
Question three, 'What kind of articles do you look for in a magazine?' got me quite a bit of variation, so I have a lot to work with. A lot of the responses said they enjoy things like quizzes, styling tips and a few celebrity interviews. However, I have actually decided to make my magazine a bit more broad and make it more of a well being/ beauty/ fashion magazine. I will therefore include aspects of fashion and beauty obviously, but I will also include self-care tips (such as the health benefits of being surrounded by nature etc.) that have been backed by factual evidence, as well as some photographs that showcase different cultures.
Question four, 'Are you generally more drawn to mages with more text than images, or vice versa?', brought a lot of clarity to how I'm going to lay out my magazine. I have decided that over a two page spread, I will not include more than a page of small writing, as the majority of my focus group made it clear that they lose interest very quickly once there's pages of writing. I will therefore include quite a few images (such as of the things mentioned before).
Finally, question five, 'What do you not like to see in magazines geared towards the beauty/ fashion industry?' also gave me a lot of guidance. Although I already had this in mind, my focus group made it clear to me that I'm not going to including anything in my magazine that could be seen as 'the ideal body type' etc. I will therefore include a variation of body types, a variation of styles (to fit all cultures) and a variation of ethnicity. My magazine will be more revolved around showcasing the idea of universal/ natural beauty, and not through the use of cosmetics, supplements or surgery. I have 100% decided that I will not be incorporating anything that will encourage things such as toxic diet culture or articles encouraging people that they have to change their appearance to 'fit in'.
BRAND IDENTITY
Brand Identity is when the product (magazine) reflects how it wants to be perceived.It does this through recognisable features such as a logo, colour scheme, font choice and standard image choices—and also through the general layout and themes ad-dressed in the product.
As we can see from the magazine covers above, Cosmopolitan manages to be minimal yet colourful/ 'fun'. They also clearly primarily want to be seen as a magazine with a female target audience, as the majority of the cover lines and images are directed towards females, according to gender stereotypes.
Cosmopolitan only ever showcases one celebrity/ group/ image on the front cover, while using a solid background colour. They probably do this to make the main image stand out more, and to contribute to the more minimalistic vibe. Despite the consistency throughout the layout of the magazine covers, the colour schemes are varied. This makes Cosmopolitan more appealing to the readers since it won't get boring, and although the same page layout is adopted for every magazine, the variation in colour schemes and poses makes it almost seems like a new magazine/ different brand every time.
However, the iconic block-lettered masthead 'Cosmopolitan' makes it clear that the magazine company want to be remembered, and although each magazine is different, they want to be recognised due to their reputation.
Another noticeable feature on all of their magazine front covers is the use of many different fonts and colours for the cover lines. This makes the covers more eye catching and has probably been done to attract more people. This use of different fonts and colours make the magazine appear as 'fun' and not boring/ monotone.
As we can see from the magazine covers above, Cosmopolitan manages to be minimal yet colourful/ 'fun'. They also clearly primarily want to be seen as a magazine with a female target audience, as the majority of the cover lines and images are directed towards females, according to gender stereotypes.
Cosmopolitan only ever showcases one celebrity/ group/ image on the front cover, while using a solid background colour. They probably do this to make the main image stand out more, and to contribute to the more minimalistic vibe. Despite the consistency throughout the layout of the magazine covers, the colour schemes are varied. This makes Cosmopolitan more appealing to the readers since it won't get boring, and although the same page layout is adopted for every magazine, the variation in colour schemes and poses makes it almost seems like a new magazine/ different brand every time.
However, the iconic block-lettered masthead 'Cosmopolitan' makes it clear that the magazine company want to be remembered, and although each magazine is different, they want to be recognised due to their reputation.
Another noticeable feature on all of their magazine front covers is the use of many different fonts and colours for the cover lines. This makes the covers more eye catching and has probably been done to attract more people. This use of different fonts and colours make the magazine appear as 'fun' and not boring/ monotone.
QUESTIONNAIRE
By conducting a questionnaire, I was able to find out a bit more about my target audience, such as what age bracket they're in, their gender and their interests. By doing this, it's helped me decide what I will include in my magazine and what will appeal to my audience.
PIE CHARTS
This shows us that the majority of the people (55%) who took the questionnaire are in the age bracket 20-29 years. This means that I'll need to make sure I adapt the magazines use of language to fit in with a younger crowd, yet be sophisticated (perhaps the use of some slang/ phrases used nowadays would be suitable).
We can see that a large proportion of people (80%) are female. This means that I'll have to adapt the magazine to be more appealing to a female audience. Despite this, there are still a few males and people who are perhaps non-binaryapnd so I will therefore also include gender neutral things and aspects that will appeal to males.
We can conclude from the pie chart that the vast majority of people who took the survey are either a student or not earning a full wage. This means that the magazine should be on the cheaper side of things, as is it was made too expensive, not many sales would be made. This also means that I could perhaps also include things such as career pathway ideas for people wanting to go into the fashion/ beauty industry, as those kind of things would appeal to my younger audience looking for work.
The chart makes it clear that the majority of people prefer minimalistic magazine front covers (63%), although quite a few people prefer a busy/ colourful cover (12%). This conclusion therefore ties in with my focus group analysis, as I've decided to incorporate aspects of both a minimalistic cover and a busy one. This meaning that I will perhaps include only one headshot image/ one focus on the cover, but use brighter colours and fonts.
The fact that a majority are interested in all, beauty, fashion, self care and being eco friendly in the fashion industry, is encouraging as I am now able to focus on a wide range of subject areas. This means that my magazine will be able to cover a vast majority of topics, appealing to a much larger audience than if it was subjective to one group on people with one group of interests.
From the chart above, we can deduce that, in total, 90% of people that took the questionnaire either are open to the idea of making their own clothes or already do so. This means that in my magazine I could perhaps include 'A beginners guide to tailoring/ dress-making' etc, which could then tie in with other topics such as 'Avoiding the fast fashion industry'. This again has given me the ability to branch out into many different topic areas, which is beneficial in getting a large target audience.
EVALUATION
A questionnaire was used in order to what people look for in a magazine, and therefore to help me decide what I should include in the magazine and what style of magazine I will be making. The questionnaire has proved very helpful, as I can now easily see from the pie charts what answers the majority of people chose: most are female students in the age category 20-29. Most prefer minimalistic front covers over busy ones, and the majority of people are very interested in a wide range of topic areas, which is very useful since I can now make my magazine more broad.
Overall I think the questionnaire was a very good way of finding out more about my target audience, although there's still some room for improvement regarding the validity and accuracy of the results obtained.
The questions I used seemed to have proved very useful in obtaining some of the information that was necessary to, in some ways, personalise my magazine towards the readers. Although despite this, they were all closed questions and therefore the answers obtained were all very vague. Therefore, I think the use of some open ended questions would've been beneficial in order to get a better idea of what my target audience will be looking for in the magazine. This affects the validity of the answers; perhaps the answer they wanted to put wasn't an option, and so they simply clicked on any.
Furthermore, I did a random sample of 100 people from various different areas in the world (England, Qatar, Kenya, Spain and Australia), meaning my results contain a lot of variation. This slightly improves the validity of the questionnaire, as the responses aren't subjective to one area. However, It's clear that the large majority of people who took the questionnaire were in fact female, which could have skewered the results to a more feminine approach- perhaps I should have sent the questionnaire to an equal number of both male and females.
In conclusion, although carrying out a questionnaire is quick and the results are very easy to summarise/ display, there are a number of disadvantages to this approach of obtaining information. Some advantages and disadvantages of carrying out a questionnaire are listed below:
Advantages Disadvantages
-Inexpensive -Need a large audience to be reliable
-Practical -People can skip questions
-Fast results -Dishonest answers
-Easy analysis -Could be a misinterpretation of questions
-Respondent is anonymous -Survey fatigue; may not complete questionnaire
-Easy to compare results -Lack of personalisation
Overall I think the questionnaire was a very good way of finding out more about my target audience, although there's still some room for improvement regarding the validity and accuracy of the results obtained.
The questions I used seemed to have proved very useful in obtaining some of the information that was necessary to, in some ways, personalise my magazine towards the readers. Although despite this, they were all closed questions and therefore the answers obtained were all very vague. Therefore, I think the use of some open ended questions would've been beneficial in order to get a better idea of what my target audience will be looking for in the magazine. This affects the validity of the answers; perhaps the answer they wanted to put wasn't an option, and so they simply clicked on any.
Furthermore, I did a random sample of 100 people from various different areas in the world (England, Qatar, Kenya, Spain and Australia), meaning my results contain a lot of variation. This slightly improves the validity of the questionnaire, as the responses aren't subjective to one area. However, It's clear that the large majority of people who took the questionnaire were in fact female, which could have skewered the results to a more feminine approach- perhaps I should have sent the questionnaire to an equal number of both male and females.
In conclusion, although carrying out a questionnaire is quick and the results are very easy to summarise/ display, there are a number of disadvantages to this approach of obtaining information. Some advantages and disadvantages of carrying out a questionnaire are listed below:
Advantages Disadvantages
-Inexpensive -Need a large audience to be reliable
-Practical -People can skip questions
-Fast results -Dishonest answers
-Easy analysis -Could be a misinterpretation of questions
-Respondent is anonymous -Survey fatigue; may not complete questionnaire
-Easy to compare results -Lack of personalisation
LANGUAGE ANALYSIS
The NME double page spread above focuses on the musician, Mark Ronson. This article takes up around half a page, with the main focus of the two pages being the image of the celebrity himself, as it takes up an entire page. The heading "THE REVENGE OF MARK RONSON" has also been made to stand out, as it's in bold all caps, with his name being double the size of the rest of the heading.
The layout of the double pages is very classy, with the heading and article being in an all black sans-serif font against an all white background. This gives the two pages a minimalistic vibe, yet creates a sense of contrast (even through the interviewee's clothing) that is very appealing to the reader.
This double page spread is dedicated to recording an interview had with Mark Ronson. The article however, is rather informal; it is written from the perspective of the interviewer, and the language used is quite impertinent (swearing etc): e.g. "Oh are you Mark Ronson? You're a f*cking w*nker". The use of informal language , in some ways, relates to the reader.
We can see from the way the article is worded that the journalist has made the target audience people who have a fairly good knowledge in different musicians. I also think that this particular double page spread is geared towards an older generation, as reference is made to celebrities such as Amy Winehouse, Lily Allen, Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen, Rod Stewart and Dizzee (I'm assuming Dizzee Rascal). This again reinforces the idea that this magazine is targeted towards people with a good knowledge of music.
Another thing to point out is that this is also probably a magazine geared towards the British public, as the words 'pub' and 'banter' are used a few times- which are mainly common words in Britain, and less common in places like America.
Overall this article is very laid-back and has been written in a 'casual' way, which relates to the reader and makes them feel as if they're on the same level as the interviewer who wrote this.
The layout of the double pages is very classy, with the heading and article being in an all black sans-serif font against an all white background. This gives the two pages a minimalistic vibe, yet creates a sense of contrast (even through the interviewee's clothing) that is very appealing to the reader.
This double page spread is dedicated to recording an interview had with Mark Ronson. The article however, is rather informal; it is written from the perspective of the interviewer, and the language used is quite impertinent (swearing etc): e.g. "Oh are you Mark Ronson? You're a f*cking w*nker". The use of informal language , in some ways, relates to the reader.
We can see from the way the article is worded that the journalist has made the target audience people who have a fairly good knowledge in different musicians. I also think that this particular double page spread is geared towards an older generation, as reference is made to celebrities such as Amy Winehouse, Lily Allen, Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen, Rod Stewart and Dizzee (I'm assuming Dizzee Rascal). This again reinforces the idea that this magazine is targeted towards people with a good knowledge of music.
Another thing to point out is that this is also probably a magazine geared towards the British public, as the words 'pub' and 'banter' are used a few times- which are mainly common words in Britain, and less common in places like America.
Overall this article is very laid-back and has been written in a 'casual' way, which relates to the reader and makes them feel as if they're on the same level as the interviewer who wrote this.
AS MEDIA
EMILY GOLDSACK
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