media : magazine front cover analysis

1. Who are the target audience?
The target audience could range from
mid teens to women who are in their
early stages of adulthood(18+). In
particular those who have a passion for
fashion and aspire to be in the fashion
industry in the future. Also those who
are interested in celebrity gossip, beauty
and shopping tips.
The model is looking
straight at the camera giving
the audience direct address.
Does the front cover have Layout
conventions?
-The main image is in the centre of the
cover.
-The masthead is at the top of the cover
to help the reader recognize what the
magazine is called. Also the masthead is
normally at the top of the covers of
fashion magazines e.g. cosmopolitan.
-The typography of the masthead is san
serif which can imply that it is a feminine
magazine.
-The typography of the rest of the texts
on the cover is serif , however they are
different sizes, colours and boldness to
distinguish the masthead, headline and
sell lines.
-The colour scheme of this cover issue is
mainly shades of red and white. White is
used to emphasise the keywords. The
deep red colour of the models dress can
show that she is powerful, passionate
and desired. The model used for this
cover issue is Jessica Alba who is a very
popular actress and the connotations
above conforms what kind of
actress/person she can come across as.
The subtle red background can connote
love which in this case is true as the
magazine was issued in the month
February and the sell lines are topics that
relate to ‘love’.
The name of the magazine is ‘Marie
Claire’. I think the magazine is called
‘Marie Claire’ because it is a feminine
name and the magazine is aimed at
women. Also the name ‘Marie Claire’
has meanings such as independent,
powerful, and motivated. This can
add to what the message the
magazine is trying to portray to their
target audience. In addition, the
masthead has remained the same
font style for years so that the
magazine is recognizable and has it’s
own signature look.
The model’s pose is quite masculine which subverts the
stereotypes of how a female model would pose for a picture.
This can also imply that she is confident in the way she looks
and give the readers a message that they should also be
confident and feel great about their body image.
The masthead is behind the model.
This can show that the main image
should be the main focus on the
cover.
What Genre is the magazine?
The genre of this magazine is
mainly fashion. This is shown
by the main image as she is
wearing a beautiful,
fashionable dress. This
magazine could also be in the
genre of beauty as the sell lines
clearly explains what beauty
products are highly used by
celebrities.
There are sell lines on the cover to attract
the readers attention and make them
want to read more of the content of the
magazine and what kind of beauty
tips/secrets the magazine has to offer.