Analysis of similar magazines 2

 

The masthead matches with the whole colour scheme of the page (pink and purple). It uses a detailed but readable font. The brand used for the masthead is the same that has been used for the years the magazine has been in production, this helps to create a brand identity and something that people will recognise on the shelves. 
There is no real ‘main coverline’ as such. The one that stands out the most would be ‘You can be Cheryl’!’ as it is in the centre of the page and matches up with the main image used for the cover. It is in a circle which sections in off from the rest of the page and makes it noticeable and stands out. The fact the rest of the page is purple and this circle of text is bright pink helps it to be seen easier as it does not blend in with the background.

The text used of the font cover is made to appeal to the audience. The teenage audience is it aimed at is always looking at celebrities and wanting to live their lives. So by using ‘You can be Cheryl!’ on the front cover, this make people take notice of it as it may make them look like their idol. Also using things such as ‘Lonely Justin!’ would entice the typical female teenage to read it as Justin Bieber would be their ideal teen crush and it is someone in their world who they want to know everything about.

There is one main image on the front cover of Cheryl Cole. By using someone who is always in the public eye, this would attract readers as it is someone people want to read about, especially female teenagers. There are many other images used on the front cover, these are all partitioned off in sections to make the page more ordered. They are all once again of well known celebrities that the audience will know and want to read about.

This front cover is very cluttered and there are alot of things going on. There is just not one main story, but several around the page. There are 8 of the many articles shown on the front cover and this makes the page very busy and cluttered. This is done on a teenage magazine because teenagers are meant to be cluttered and untidy, therefore the magazine would stand out to them.

The colours used are very girly and stereotypical of something that would appeal to a teenage girl. Most of the sections showing the previews of articles have a combination of the pink, white and purple. In a shop this would immediately catch the attention of a stereotypical teenage girl with the colours and styles, as well as the pictures of the well known celebrities.

The route of the eye follows through each section of the magazine, the mast head first so the reader see what the magazine is titled and through the main cover lines, showing that articles are inside, which encourage the reader to buy the magazine. It then goes through the barcode and the magazine information, things such as the price and issue number, which are important but not necessarily the things you need to see first.

This magazine does not have a seperate contents page, it goes straight into articles on the second page. On the front cover, it includes so many of the articles, there are small circles showing what page the article is on. They are small black or white circles next to the coverline on the cover which direct you to the page the article is on. This is probably due to the fact that the teenage audience would not want to read and reference to and from a contents page. They are more likely to be flicking through the magazine and reading most of the articles, as a magazine like this does not appeal to a one off/chance reader.

'Behind Bars' would grab the reader's attention as the audience would want to read on to find out why The Wanted are 'behind bars'. It is in bright colour with a thin black outline which stands out against the pictures grey background. At is also in captials, which makes it bold. 'Behind bars' also fits in with the bands name 'The Wanted' so the whole article fits in and is linked not only with the interview but the bands name itself.
The colours used are black, white and red. The clothes the band is wearing in the picture fit this colour scheme. These colours fit in with the article and band things such as black stripes and the bars used in the picture all fit in with prison and the idea of being ‘behind bars’. The colours tie in well together; the article stands out clearly on the white blocks.

There are page numbers separated off by triangles in the bottom corner of each page. This also fits the colour scheme as they are kept black and white. Looking through the magazine, all the page numbers are kept the same throughout, create a house style and an easy to navigate magazine.

There are quotes for each band member next to them in the picture. If the person reading it was just interested in one of the members in the band, this would be helpful for them as it separates them from the rest of the group. It is also used as a teaser for the article, so it makes people want to read the rest by giving a small taste of what is in it.

The article uses teen language that the audience will understand. It is very punctuated, full of exclamation marks and broken up sentences, this makes it sound very enthusiastic and something a teenage will relate to, like how they speak in real life.

The page seems quite cluttered but the whole ‘behind bars’ theme makes everything very regimental and in sections. The majority of the right hand page is filled with the picture with the slanted bars the band is holding onto. The headline goes through the middle of the page, with a line underneath boxed off. The article itself is also in boxes, divided up into sections, like a prison cell.