Analysis of front covers

By James Willis

Billboard The magazine image on the front cover is very large and almost covers the whole page. This attracts the reader as you can see that it is Rihanna and that she is a well known celebrity, this may be a viewers reason to buy a magazine as it contains an artist they like. The image also gives away the genre of the magazine and also the target audience as younger readers may be more interested in RnB than the older viewers. The colour of Rihanna’s hair corresponds with the read in the masthead and is also very vibrant so it stands out towards the reader. The way the masthead is party covered by the main image draws the readers eye into the centre but as it is a well known magazine the house style is still easily recognisable. The pull quote that links with main image and also gives a story that would entice readers in and make them want to read the full article “my fans don’t really know who I am” the over cover lines are also edgy and are interesting without exposing too much of the story or making the page cluttered.

Men’s Health The masthead is in a more formal font and is quite large, this may have been done to give magazine a more mature age group. Due the large writing its easily recognisable and may also hint the age range of the buyers “Mens”

The main image is of David beckham who is a worldwide celebrity/football player. Many people may aspire to be like him or he is their role model and seeing him on the front cover may persuade them to buy the magazine. The cover line also links with the image “all-star style” sounds intriguing and may offer tips or information.

The cover lines that are on the page are in large writing and a robust large font. “style muscle” sounds very powerful and this ay be a reason to purchase the magazine. They are all offering tips or reviews that will especially attract the male reader suggesting the genre and target audience. Nascar is another cover line that is stereotypically watched and seen as a males sport.

Vibe The banner at the top of the magazine uses words like “exclusive” this may make the reader feel privileged that they are reading the magazine and also like it is new news, this creates a reason to buy the magazine.

The masthead is partly covered by the main image buy it is still recognisable and visible to the reader and they may buy because of the name.

The cover lines on the right third of the magazine page are in the same shade of blue as the masthead,. This then draws the reader to these after seeing the masthead to see what is in the magazine contents. The other cover line is a yellow and black colour which stands out against the black/grey backdrop and the main cover line links with the main image of Usher.

There is also some use of slang/vocabulary that is suited to the younger readers “swagger” this may hint at the audience of the magazine and attract a wider range of viewers.