Analysis of Exsiting Magazine Covers - NME

The main image on the cover is of a young man, staring directly at the camera to attract audience’s attention. His hair is bright red, which clashes with the bright blue/green background, this will also attract attention to the magazine. The two of the other three images on the page are also very bright, with red backgrounds and lots of action. This screams that nothing about this magazine is quiet or understated, and everything inside will be just as in your face as the cover.

The magazines title, and all the text on the page, is placed over the main image showing that it has a large fan base that will buy the magazine purely because it is NME. However, the title is not in its usual red, instead it is in white, so it stands out from the red of the cover star, Gerard Way, hair. The magazine title is also the largest font on the page, showing that this is the biggest draw for the audience. The second largest font is the name of the band Gerard Way is in: My Chemical Romance (MCR). This will attract all those who would not usually buy the magazine, but are interested in MCR or in particular front man Gerard Way. There is a pun, the magazine saying that “Gerard see’s red” initially implying the change in his hair colour, but actually referring to the fact he “loathe[s] what Goth has become”. This shows the magazine is trying to flatter their audience, and is also trying to appeal to a more intelligent audience.

This magazine would appeal to people aged 17-30 because it contains articles from modern and older bands, including a “Suede Comeback Interview”, which younger readers may not remember. The magazine would also try to appeal to people in the social demographic ABC1, as these are the people who have the money to spend on a magazine. This magazine is £2.20 a week and a majority of the readers will have left education, so the audience will have to be working with a decent income to be able to buy the magazine every week. However, the main audience of this magazine will be at the younger end of the age spectrum, as the bright, clashing, colours may put off older readers. This magazine will appeal to mainstreamers and aspirers, people who want the lifestyle portrayed by the people in the magazine.