This is the second sheet out of three

1. Target Audience and genre
The target audience for Kerrang! are readers 15
to 25 who enjoy heavy metal and rock music. This
is shown the amount of images that are on the
front cover to draw the eye of the readers. It is
also shown By the different typefaces which are
sans serif and seem to look quite immature. The
genre of this magazine is heavy metal and rock
yet it can have a wide range of different rock
music. This can be seen from the male rock singer
in the main image. Also, the house style of the
cover magazine is mainly the colours of red and
black which can be stereotyped with rock music.
Main Image
The main image is of Gerard Way who is a well
known rock singer. His body is in the axis of
orientation and his head is in the primary optical
area and strong fallow area. His face is quite light
which contrasts with the colours on the front
cover.
Model credit
The model credit is in in a different typeface to
make it stand out on the front cover. Also the way
they are surrounding the lead article suggests this
is the lead article. The snippet of information is a
used to draw people in to the magazine. A pull
quote is also seen to try and draw in the attention
of viewers. The quote that has been chosen will
also appeal to the curiosity of the readers.
Lead Article
The lead article is the band name ‘My Chemical
Romance’. The typeface used attracts the
audience as it stands out from the rest of the
cover. This is because the colours are bright and
stand out on the dark background of the
magazine. Also, the main cover line is in the axis
of orientation which means that it will be seen. It
is also a banner which adds to the brightness of
the magazine.
Masthead
The Masthead of Kerrang is being covered by Gerard Way’s head. The
mast head is in the primary optical area and the strong fallow area. This is
to try and draw the attention of readers who enjoy this magazine and the
masthead isn’t usually covered by a main image. The name Kerrang is an
onomatopoeia which is the sound of a guitar riff and the exclamation mark
suggests excitement. This relates to the target audience of this magazine
as the audience is teenagers and young adult and they are more than likely
to play guitar.
The Gutenberg Design Principle
The masthead is in the primary optical area and the strong fallow area.
This has been done as the Masthead is a popular brand that the readers
usually look for when looking for magazines. Also in the primary optical
area and strong fallow area is a coverline with the mention of two famous
bands to attract the attention of the reader. The axis of orientation has
been used as the coverlines fill the page. In the week shallow point and the
terminal area, singers of different bands are there to attract a wider range
of audience.
Colours/Typefaces/House style
The main colours evident in this front cover are black and red. These two
colours can be related to the heavy metal genre of music which the
magazine is primarily based on. The yellow also makes the cover seem
vibrant and attracts the eye of a reader. The typeface used for most of the
coverlines is very bold and solid which seems to make the front cover
bolder. The other typeface used is slightly more sophisticated than the
other and may try and relate to a different audience. The one typeface
that stands out the most is the ‘My Chemical Romance’ is eye catching and
advertises the band name. This is because My Chemical Romance is a
famous band and the readers will see the name and want to buy the
magazine. The house style of this issue is identical to the other issues that
have been produced with minor changes such as different positions of
coverlines.
Coverlines
The coverlines have been placed in the axis of orientation. This is because the readers will
scan the whole magazines in that order. Also, the fact that the typeface is bold and bright
means that the readers will catch these coverlines first. Some typefaces are more subtle
than the others and are all related to one article in particular. This typeface used on the
coverline also makes it standout as it is different from the rest of the coverlines.
Banners/Flashes/badges
The first banner used starts in the primary optical area and ends in the
strong fallow area. The second starts in the weak fallow area and ends in
the terminal area. This is so the extra coverlines can be noticed first and
last. There is a flash which provides information on a subscription deal.
This is small as to draw attention to the coverlines first then the flash itself.
However there are no badges present as the coverlines are very crowding.
Front Cover Analysis