Conventions of a Front Cover

As previously stated in my preceding project, front covers of music magazines regularly feature: a masthead; a promotional banner; a caption; colloquial language; a main image; a headline;  anchorage text; a sub-headline; a secondary image(s); a barcode; an issue number; a date a buzz word and, finally, a plug. All of these aspects fall under the category of Language in the L.I.I.A.R acronym.

Additionally, the magazines clearly display a repetitive theme (otherwise known as ‘house-style’) in order to generate and maintain a devoted audience – this is created through repeated language, i.e. through colour, layout and fonts. Typography is traditionally shown in the masthead and one variation is repeatedly used to contribute towards their ‘house-style’. A promotional banner is used in order to advertise something exclusive to that magazine, for example, an interview with a person associated with that particular magazine. A caption is an important aspect of a magazine front cover as it illustrates the values correlated with the magazine; this determines who target audience is.  It is usually places under the masthead. Most magazines, traditionally aimed at a younger market, include colloquial language on their front page – this is informal language, such as slang or light metaphors. The main image is the most dominant feature of a magazine cover and is normally positioned in the centre of the page. It signifies the values and contents of the magazine, for example, a rock band is used for rock music magazine front covers. The headline is the main piece of text on a magazine front cover and is designed to promote the main image. The anchorage text is typically located underneath the headline and it helps customers comprehend the headline and the main image. The sub-headline is akin to the headline; however, it is not the principal story therefore the text is usually smaller and less prominent. Secondary images, like sub-headlines, are usually included, although are less significant and thus are smaller sizes. A barcode is on every cover of every magazine published. It’s an indication of the price and overall quality of the magazine. It shows the buyer that it is a paid item and can also tell us which company distributes the magazine. An issue number tells us how many magazines the company has published and, accompanied by the date, it informs the buyer whether the product’s content is up to date. The buzzword usually promotes something that is exclusive inside the magazine, e.g.  some magazines will state the word ‘WIN’ to promote the opportunity to win a free product.  A plug or an ear, depending on its positioning, is a shape containing a buzzword or statement to persuade the audience to purchase the magazine.

The masthead shown on the magazine located to the left, is positioned at the top left of the page which is visible when stacked on newsstands.  It has a large, bold upper case font which is very recognizable on the page. It is coloured white which matches the house theme of red, orange and white, they're very domineering on the page, thus will immediately attract the audience's attention, especially when positioned before a fairly dim background. Below the masthead is the caption which states ‘The World’s Greatest Music Magazine’. This suggests it is more superior than other forms of music magazines; this is an influential selling point as individuals are made to think what is stated. The promotional banner states ‘Exclusive Amy Winehouse Tribute CD’ hottest bands’. The term ‘’exclusive’ indicates that particular feature is not available anywhere else. Stating the artist’s name indicates that they’re an associative of the music featured in the magazine. It also contains buzz words such as 'plus' and 'rare’ to tempt the audience with the purchase of the magazine. The headline uses a combination of two font sizes and fills the largest amount of space. The artists name 'Amy' is of a larger font showing that she is the most significant aspect of the headline. Consequently, the customer can instantly identify artist and therefore know whether this magazine is suited to their music taste. The main image is deliberately placed to the right to fit the rule of thirds. It is a medium – close up of the artist mentioned by the headline, Amy Winehouse. The shot used shows her facial features, expression and, although slight, her attire. Her facial expression appears to have a comfortable and collected quality to it, perhaps representing her assurance with her own effortless ability; this may denote that the artists mentioned in this magazine are talented and skilful. The clothes she's wearing are fairly provocative, implying that her songs feature cheeky and suggestive undertones -this infers that the magazine incorporates some of these values. The barcode is shown in the bottom right corner and it shows the price and the website address of the magazine, this is a way of advertising itself to the audience. The barcode also displays the date so the audience can classify whether this is the latest copy of the magazine so the stories can be applicable to when they're reading it. Three sub-headlines are shown and are either coloured white, orange or red. The anchorages are situated around each one and are of a smaller font. The text is coloured differently - the juxtaposition between the colours is striking to the eye, thus grabbing the customer's interest. One of the sub-headlines includes a band name which falls under the category of rock, which means the audience can determine whether this magazine caters to their interest. A list of bonus artists is also displayed in the bottom right corner in a final attempt to grasp the customer.