Rebecca and beth analysis of music magazine front covers

Q

We analysed the March 2009 edition of Q magazine. The masthead is the brightest colour on the magazine being red it stands out and grabs the attention of a reader persuading them to buy the magazine. Having pink writing contrasts with the red masthead and stands out against the dark grey picture, but compliments the pink shirt that Brandon Flowers is wearing. With him being the main focus on the front cover, the pink and the white writing makes the magazine feminine even though the picture is of a male, there is no white space on the front cover apart from the boxed off areas. The language on the front cover is mature and formal, this brings the impression that it is aimed for a younger audience, it is also in a simple font so it is easy to understand and see. There is no official strap line so the front cover is not very informative and does not give away as much as other magazines. The sell line “a different taste on music” intrigues the reader as it gives the impression that there is something new and something that has never been seen before. It isn't very formal and uses a san serif font. It shows lists of artists involved in the magazine, they are in a serif font and are white so they stand out on the dark grey background, this makes them seem slightly more formal than the rest of the other font on the front cover being san serif.