Magazine Analysis 2

This analysis will be based on Kerrang! Magazine.

The Title/Masthead Analysis

Why is the title called ‘Kerrang’ and what does this connote?‘Kerrang’ has made its own definition of a UK based magazine devoted solely to rock music. Onomatopoeia has been used in the title as it almost sounds like a rock sound effect and is quite harsh sounding. This links in with the genre of the magazine and the house style for it is a based on heavy metal/rock music.

The masthead/title analysisThe masthead of the magazine has been written in bold white capital letters which make it stand out amidst the blue magazine background which is linking to the house style. There is an exclamation mark at the end of the title, linking into the mode of address as it makes the reader feel better acquainted with the magazine yet also adding emphasis to the word. The capital letters, the exclamation mark, the crackles around the title and the lines cutting through it all emphasise the violence and aggression in which is associated with the genre of the magazine. Furthermore, the middle of the title has been cut off by the main image however this has occurred in many of the other Kerrang magazines and could be the brand identity of the company.

The Strapline Analysis

The strapline is about the main image Gerard Way, ‘Gerard Goes Solo!’ This has been slanted and the background of the text is a black lined pattern, which separates the strapline from the cover lines yet does not take over the text. This strapline is also a banner as well as circulation as it goes across the whole width of the front cover and is an anchoring text for the main image. ‘Gerard’ has been issued in bright yellow whereas the rest of the text is in white, either way it stands out against the dark patterned background. The reason for using a brighter colour on his name is that people would instantly be interested in what the topic is by reading the name.  The graphic of the text has been crackled and broken which gives it a rough appearance and continues on the theme of violence. The exclamation mark and the capital letters add excitement to the text. 

What is the main image?A medium shot has been used to portray the main image who is Gerard Way from My Chemical Romance. He is a celebrity that the target audience are likely to be fond of and also fans of the ex-band My Chemical Romance or Gerard Way are likely to purchase the magazine because of him being on the front cover.  Gerard Way has been made to stand out and look attractive; this would intrigue the female readers thus leading them into purchasing the magazine. His body language and facial expression is very relaxed and connotes a laid back attitude that also conveys mystery. Although he is wearing sun glasses which add to the mysterious look, the audience can slightly see his eyes that are making direct eye contact with them which makes them feel selected. Most of his body has been covered up by cover lines however he is wearing a camouflage green jacket; this again does not contrast with the magazine background and also fits in with the house style. A large banner  which is also the headline. has been used across the centre of magazine page, this particularly draws attention to the main image because it mentions Gerards name. Kerrang magazine has a niche audience as it is mainly towards anyone who listens to rock genres, because the magazine contains many different rock bands and solo artists. Due to some research, the mean age of Kerrang! Magazine purchasers are 22. There is no set target audience for male and females. The younger members of the audience are more likely to purchase the magazine, which gives the company a big advantage because of technology as most of the marketing is based around this.

What other images appear on the cover and why?  

There are smaller images of other rock singers/bands. There are single artists and different members from different bands scattered over the magazine. One has been located at the top left corner whilst another is at the bottom left. There are 6 different artists/bands at the bottom of the page and there is one on the right hand side. The small images are linked in with a cover line. The bands of which the two members on the top and bottom left corner are from have been highlighted in a bright red whilst the other text is in black. Both colours stand out against the yellow text background however the red is more captivating. This reveals a bit about the target audience of the magazine, as it appeals to both genders.  A lot of colloquial language has been used when addressing the audience and use of punctuation such as, capital letters, exclamation marks, underlining and dashes emphasise the text, intriguing the reader and building a closer relationship with them. The 6 artists/bands (Fall Out Boy, Of Mice and Men, Issues, Metallica, Alter Bridge and Panic! At The Disco all which fit under the rock genre) at the bottom. There are pictures of a poster of them and circulation of their band name/artist name has been written in bold capital black letters with a white background. The posters would entice the reader because it contains free merchandise that would help sell the magazine and the readers feel as though they are gaining more than just a magazine. 

What content is promoted by the cover lines?

The album of A Day To Remember is situated at the top of the magazine and it mentions ‘The album that almost destroyed them – the true story’ this is an exclusive where the reader would believe the story is only available in this particular magazine. The fact the ‘true’ has been underlined would make the reader believe it IS the ‘true’ story. The circulation of the main image would interest the reader on Gerard Ways new found solo career. As there is a quote beside him ‘I thought the end of My Chemical Romance was the end of my story…’ with the key words highlighted ‘My Chemical Romance’ in yellow where as the rest of the words are in white. This gives the reader knowledge of who the main image is. The word ‘thought’ and the ellipses at the end of the quote adds interest to the story where in fact it is a lure. The reason for this is because a small section of the story has been printed on the front cover but the ellipses show that this is carried on in the magazine.

Explain the connotations of typefaces, graphics and colours.All of the magazine has been written in bold capital letters which connote a loud atmosphere. The key words in a cover line have been written in bright yellow which stands out to the reader as well as from the rest of the text that has been written in white. There are crackles in the typefaces and the texts have been written in block capitals with the typeface san-serif as this links in with the house style and the continuous theme of violence. The main font colours on the front cover are red, black white and yellow which all stand out amidst the murky blue background. They are all striking to the eye which draws the target audience towards the magazine in order to gain more purchases. The colours are all bright and visible making it attractive to the reader. One of the cover lines were written in speech marks with ellipses at the end, this emphasises a quote from the main image and the ellipses draw suspicion.

What sort of language/language

features/language devices can you identify? How does the cover talk to the audience?The language is colloquial and in some

cases personal, directed towards the reader ‘As You’ve Never Seen Them Before’. It adds closeness between the magazine and the audience in which they gain likability as a company. The frequent use of punctuation adds emotion to the text. Speech marks have been used to portray a quote from the main image and the ellipses at the end of the quote builds interest to the story. The capital letters and the exclamation marks at the end make the words boom in the reader’s mind and hence link to the house style of aggression.

Does the cover look similar to other magazines? If so why? What is it’s unique selling point?

Yes it has similar layout to other magazines such as, Q and NME however the colour schemes are different. The unique selling point of the magazine would be the fact that it states in the corner ‘Win a £500 guitar’ this is related to music fans and also is a chance for the audience to gain something.

Is there anything else distinctive about this cover/format? 

The size of the typeface has been made pretty large so that it is clear and easy for the target audience to see and also stands out. All of the spaces have been filled up with cover lines and the colours used on the front liven up the cover.

The InsideHow many pages are there?63 pages are on the inside of the magazine, which conveys that it is a weekly magazine.

How many pages of adverts?15, this is about less than a quarter of the magazine.

Categorise the products advertised into typesGaming, Tour Dates, Concert Tickets, Kerrang! (Subscriptions & Social Networking), Albums and Small Ads. 

Make a list of the features/article topics in the magazineNews, Feedback, Features (from bands), Shots, Lives, Albums, Gig Guide and The Ultimate Rockstar Test. 

How many double page spreads are they? What are they about? 

7 double page spreads.

- American High (You Me At Six have pulled off the biggest U.S tour of their lives)

- Is crowdfunding exploiting fans?

- Cruising Into The Sunset (Nikki Sixx tells Kerrang! Why Motley Crue are eyeing retirement and won’t be ever coming back)

- One In A Million (Its been seven months since My Chemical Romance disbanded --- Gerard Way starts on his own this month--)

-The Curious Case of James Veck-Gilodi (Life is good for James Veck-Gildofi right now. Deaf Havana have released a top 10

album. They’ve supported the boss. Oh, and they’re playing their biggest headline tour yet. So, why is he still so grumpy? Mark

Sutherland found out..)

- A Fight To Remember (It’s been one hell of a tough year for A Day To Remember. After a long battle with their old label in court,

they’ve finally released their brilliant new album, Common Courtesy. As for the songs you’re all enjoying so much? Well, they

very nearly didn’t see the light of day, as Jeremy Mckinnon tells Ian Winwood…)

- Tonight Alive (Aussie pop-punks triumph at biggest-ever headline show)

Are there any advertorials where it is not clear if something is an article or an advert or a mixture of both? ‘See/Hear the official Kerrang! Rock chart’ this was advertised on the bottom of The official Kerrang! Rock Chart.‘Win 5 albums of your choice!’ this was under 'letter of the week' in their feedback feature.

How does the magazine achieve a unified ‘house style’? Why is this house style appropriate to the target audience? What assumptions does it imply about the Target audience?There is a rough yet quirky edge to the magazine which intrigues the target audience of rock fans that are both genders aged 16 - 25. All of the textual language has been written in block capitals which makes the words sound louder in the reader’s head. Colloquial language is used in the magazine, as this gains a closer bond with the reader which links in with the target audience. The colour scheme is a noticeable; it consists of red, white, blue, yellow and black. The colours are all bright and vibrant this does not emasculate them nor look too feminine, they stand out to the audience hence attracting them to the magazine. The main image has been used to attract more readers into purchasing the magazine. The fury and power of the rock genre is emphasised through the crackles in the mast and cover line text.