Magazine Analysis for ELLE

1. The shot type that has been used is a mid
shot. They might have chosen this shot as
you can clearly see Natalie Portman’s facial
expression and her body language in the
photo. She also looks very approachable
and relaxed in this picture which is another
reason why they might have chosen to use
this shot instead of a close up. This will
make a friendly image for the magazine,
which will appeal to the target audience as
they wont feel intimidated by the cover
star.
Colour scheme is different shades of blue and white. This may
encourage the audience to tie in the colours with the Christmas/
Winter theme. The dark colours, especially of the background,
allow the audience to know what sort of edition this magazine is.
White has been used for the cover lines because they stand out
against the dark background. The colours that have been used
are formal colours that will appeal to the A/B/C1 target audience.
The target audience for this magazine is mainly
feminine. This is clear to see as they have used a
female as the cover star and the cover lines are
about clothes and make up which are both
feminine things. The age range looks to be about
18-40 because they have used sans serif font to
make the front cover look more informal, but
have used serif and dark colours to make it seem
formal. Therefore the magazine will appeal to a
wide range of women. However, the magazine
does appeal to men as well as one of the cover
lines says ‘that suit everyone’ meaning that
there are some options for men as well.
Masthead
The masthead of the magazine ‘ELLE’, (which
means she in French) creates a feminine
image for the magazine. They have used
French to make a more sophisticated image
which will appeal to the A, B & C1 target
audience. The masthead is written in serif
font as it makes a more formal image which
will again appeal to the target audience.
They are confident in their brand as they can
feel that people will still know the magazine
even if the masthead is partly covered.
Direct Address
Natalie Portman is making direct eye contact with
the audience. This will create a friendlier image for
the magazine as the cover star looks approachable.
It almost seems as if she is looking right at you and
looks very relaxed which will appeal to the target
audience as they can relate to her natural and
friendly expression.
Main image
The main image is of Natalie Portman who is a well known
actress. This will appeal to the target audience as they will
know who she is. The image has been used to create star
power as they are using Natalie Portman to attract people
to the magazine. . A mid- shot has been used so you can
easily see the cover stars facial expression which is very
natural and again relaxed. They have used a well known
celebrity for the cover star as the audience will want to lead
an aspirational life-style like she does.
Cover lines
There aren’t a lot of cover lines on the front cover
of the magazine, this will appeal to the C1
audience as a magazine that does not have a lot
of writing will appeal to them more. Most of the
cover lines are about fashion which will appeal to
the A/B audience as they can relate to them and
may be more interested in fashion. There is one
cover line that is about dating which will appeal to
the younger C1 audience as they will be
interested in finding out about other peoples lives
and it shows that the magazine has a bit more
variety.
Anchorage text
One of the biggest headings on the page which is smaller than the masthead
is ‘Natalie Portman’ They want people to know that such a big star is on their
cover. Her name is written in a smaller font that some of the cover lines
which shows that they might be confident that they know who she is, so they
do not have to make it obvious who it is. They have used her whole name as
people might not know who she is if they are not into films. This gives a more
personal feel to the audience and makes them feel as if they know her. This
would appeal to the target audience as they can feel like they are know her
and by reading this magazine they will find out personal information.