Colour
The only image featured on this page is a close up of a very well-known, successful singer and sex icon, Cheryl Cole. The image is very dark and dramatic looking, and is clearly based on the film Sin City. The background as well as much of her face is relatively dark and dull. This causes her bright red lips to stand out, immediately drawing the eye to her mouth. Cheryl's lips are parted slightly, her teeth are vissible and her toungue reaching out to the metal ring at the corner of her mouth. This pose is very sexual and is likely to appeal to the target audience. Also, by using Cheryl Cole the magazine is able to attract a wider more varied audience because she is currently a huge success and so by featuring her many younger people will take an interest. As well as this, unlike the usual audience that consists of mainly men, women may take an interest as many women are likely to aspire to be like Cheryl. In the photo her eyes appear dark and narrow, giving the image and element of mystery which should entice the reader. There is water falling over Cheryl, in the way that rain would fall (as is seen in the opening of Sin City) - this increases the level of sex appeal as well as helping the image to relate to the genre of music, indie/rock.
The strapline, 'THE UK'S BIGGEST MUSIC MAGAZINE', certainly addresses the target audience who take music seriously and will want the very best magazine, in order to fulfill their needs. The 2010 positioned at the top right-hand of the page should also help in attracting the audience as it shows that the content of the magazine is current and 'up-to-date'. The list of artists/bands running down the left side should also grab the reader's attention as the artists/bands features should appeal to the target audience. Also, there is a silver pug containing the words, 'John Lennon's lost weekend', which should also appeal to the more mature reader (the type of reader targetted) as John Lennon was a member of the Beatles - who were a hugely successful band many years ago - meaning that younger people may not have the same level of interest in the story. Above the pug, in bold silver font it reads, 'THE 10 BEST NEW ACTS', this stands out as being the only text on the page in this colour. The statement made will certainly appeal to the target audience, as the type of reader targetted is likely to have a serious attitude towards music and so will want the 'best', most recent stories.
Overall the magazine appears to be a very classy, high quality magazine. The colours and font type are mainly what portray this. The clear focus on Cheryl Cole immediately indicates what the magazine contains. Her expression is serious and sexual, appealing to the mature male audience the magazine is usually targetted at. It is clear that this magazine would not appeal to a much older audience as the majority of its content is very current, and stereotypically people of a certain age are less interested in current music. At the other end of the scale, young children are also not likely to be attracted to such a magazine, as the sophisticated colours may suggest to them that the magazine is too advanced to be suitable for their capabilities.
The main colours used throughout this page are red, black, white and grey. These colours, in particular red, are often associated with love and passion, and are often seen as sexy. This is definitely the impression they create on this cover. The bright red used in contrast with the black works perfectly in portraying the sexy, classy image the magazine is trying to create. The use of such a vibrant colour, red in this case, helps the magazine to really grab the attention of the audience. The target audience - mainly mature men who take music seriously - will be particularly attracted by the use of these colours, black usually being seen as masculine and classy, and red as sexy and sophisticated. Mature men will want to feel they are buying a classy, high quality magazine and this is certainly portrayed through colour.
Design
The cover is very conventional - a close up image in the centre, surrounded by text. The title 'Q', price and main features are all positioned in the left hand third of the page. This arrangement is typical of a conventional magazine, as these common features are key in attrracting the audience and so it is very important for them to be visible when the magazine is stacked on a shop shelf. The image is of an extremely well-known artist, Cheryl Cole, and lies centre on the page. The title covers a small section of her head, this causes the recognisable Q to stand out further to its target audience who are probably familiar with the magazine. The text is arranged either side of Cheryl Cole's face so not to draw attention away from her, as she is clearly the main focus in this issue. There is also a huge heading that runs across the page below Cheryl Cole's face. The overall positioning of all of the text gives the appearance of a frame around her face. A similar style of font is used for the majority of the text on the page. The style appears kind of gothic and gives off a dramatic vibe. Some of the text is in a more modern, much thicker font, which I believe has been done as this particular text is for some reason more significant. The core colours are used for all of the text however this use varies.
The cover is very conventional - a close up image in the centre, surrounded by text. The title 'Q', price and main features are all positioned in the left hand third of the page. This arrangement is typical of a conventional magazine, as these common features are key in attrracting the audience and so it is very important for them to be visible when the magazine is stacked on a shop shelf. The image is of an extremely well-known artist, Cheryl Cole, and lies centre on the page. The title covers a small section of her head, this causes the recognisable Q to stand out further to its target audience who are probably familiar with the magazine. The text is arranged either side of Cheryl Cole's face so not to draw attention away from her, as she is clearly the main focus in this issue. There is also a huge heading that runs across the page below Cheryl Cole's face. The overall positioning of all of the text gives the appearance of a frame around her face. A similar style of font is used for the majority of the text on the page. The style appears kind of gothic and gives off a dramatic vibe. Some of the text is in a more modern, much thicker font, which I believe has been done as this particular text is for some reason more significant. The core colours are used for all of the text however this use varies.
Images
The only image featured on this page is a close up of a very well-known, successful singer and sex icon, Cheryl Cole. The image is very dark and dramatic looking, and is clearly based on the film Sin City. The background as well as much of her face is relatively dark and dull. This causes her bright red lips to stand out, immediately drawing the eye to her mouth. Cheryl's lips are parted slightly, her teeth are vissible and her toungue reaching out to the metal ring at the corner of her mouth. This pose is very sexual and is likely to appeal to the target audience. Also, by using Cheryl Cole the magazine is able to attract a wider more varied audience because she is currently a huge success and so by featuring her many younger people will take an interest. As well as this, unlike the usual audience that consists of mainly men, women may take an interest as many women are likely to aspire to be like Cheryl. In the photo her eyes appear dark and narrow, giving the image and element of mystery which should entice the reader. There is water falling over Cheryl, in the way that rain would fall (as is seen in the opening of Sin City) - this increases the level of sex appeal as well as helping the image to relate to the genre of music, indie/rock.
How are words used on the cover?
The title 'Q' is simple, blunt and easy to remember. The white letter (Q) on the square red background stands out significantly, and in some ways resembles a stop sign. I believe this has been done so that it has a similar effect to that of a stop sign, stopping the audience by abruptly grabbing their attention. The strapline is in white font on a black background - these 2 colours contrast harshly. There are several artists/bands mentioned on the cover which gives the reader a good indication of what is inside. The main heading that grabs the attention of the audience reads, '3 words... / CHERYL COLE / ROCKS'. This heading is noticeably larger and more significant than any other. The heading is central and runs along the bottom, spreading over 3 lines, as you read from line to line down the page the text increases in size drastically. The colour and style of the font also changes - red, white, red. This heading also contains a clever play on words as the first line, '3 words...' is referring to the 3 words that follow (CHERYL COLE ROCKS) yet it is also the name of Cheryl Cole's new album. This heading along with the title will be able to be read from a distance and so should catch the eye of the target audience from a shop shelf.
Language
The strapline, 'THE UK'S BIGGEST MUSIC MAGAZINE', certainly addresses the target audience who take music seriously and will want the very best magazine, in order to fulfill their needs. The 2010 positioned at the top right-hand of the page should also help in attracting the audience as it shows that the content of the magazine is current and 'up-to-date'. The list of artists/bands running down the left side should also grab the reader's attention as the artists/bands features should appeal to the target audience. Also, there is a silver pug containing the words, 'John Lennon's lost weekend', which should also appeal to the more mature reader (the type of reader targetted) as John Lennon was a member of the Beatles - who were a hugely successful band many years ago - meaning that younger people may not have the same level of interest in the story. Above the pug, in bold silver font it reads, 'THE 10 BEST NEW ACTS', this stands out as being the only text on the page in this colour. The statement made will certainly appeal to the target audience, as the type of reader targetted is likely to have a serious attitude towards music and so will want the 'best', most recent stories.
Overall Impression
Overall the magazine appears to be a very classy, high quality magazine. The colours and font type are mainly what portray this. The clear focus on Cheryl Cole immediately indicates what the magazine contains. Her expression is serious and sexual, appealing to the mature male audience the magazine is usually targetted at. It is clear that this magazine would not appeal to a much older audience as the majority of its content is very current, and stereotypically people of a certain age are less interested in current music. At the other end of the scale, young children are also not likely to be attracted to such a magazine, as the sophisticated colours may suggest to them that the magazine is too advanced to be suitable for their capabilities.
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