Front cover analysis - Mojo

This Magazine is called Mojo. The target audience that it is aimed at is the middle-upper class as it is a specialist magazine, therefore it focus is the music and not the star appeal. It is for mainly men aged from 30 and over, however some females may be interested in this too. I think that is the right target audience due to the images and font used on the front cover. The contents on the front cover are almost all about different bands which fit perfectly with the music genre (rock).

Mojo’s masthead title has a consistent 3D effect with a masculine font and size and at the top of the page. The colour used in this issue is a black. The colour scheme is basic and appealing using red, black, yellow and white. The bold use of the red and yellow colours contrast well with the black colours and the main image. The date and price of the magazine are discretely at the bottom right of the page with the barcode- this does not draw the reader’s attention to the expensive cost of £4.60 and therefore doesn’t detract the reader’s attention from the main image.

Superimposition is used when the main centralised image of a Bob Dylan icon overlaps the title of the magazine; the title is well-known and remains clear to read. Bob’s clothes are conventional to the genre and era of his music and connote a rock star look, for example he is wearing a whit shirt and black trousers with a black waistcoat. Bob adds star appeal to the target audience as he has real celebrity appeal-he is a singer-songwriter and is he is well known across the globe. Bob uses the direct mode of address to appeal to the reader as he poses with a subtle and ‘model-like’ look on his face; this gives him and the cover a high star appeal. Bob also poses with his arms in a confident position. The publishers add graphic detail to the main image, giving the reader an impression that he is holding it. The image is in low key lighting to suggest a rock star mood to the reader. The long shot is used for the appeal to the target audience and allows the reader to capture the detail from the surroundings. The low angle shot is used to inspire the reader, which makes the reader look up to Bob Dylan as a true rock star.

This cover is busy and bold and includes a range of graphic details. An example of this is in the top left hand pug position, where the publisher has placed the writing ‘Free sound track CD!’ ideally placed in a red circle effect. Some sections of text stand out more than others as well, even though the publisher has not used any colour blocking to add effect the bold red, yellows and whites stand out which suggests it would be interesting to draw the reader in. The cover appears to be following the genre type and is expensive looking much like the aspiring middle class reader.

‘David Bowie. New album. The verdict.’ is in the sky line position and this is found at the top of the front cover. Bowie, Dylan and Otis are singers from previous eras when the target audience were young eg the 1970’s.

 ‘100 greatest music films ever!’ is the anchorage text as it tells the reader what they can expect to find in the magazine.

The sell line ‘Lights. Camera. Dylan.’ Is on the left hand side so it is easily visible when the magazine is racked on a stand. The wording establishes a link with the reality of the reader e.g. ‘Dylan’ being Bob Dylan’s last name. The sell line gives a short, sharp description of the title's marketing point-every reader would want to know more about the celebrity. The text ‘Dylan’ is in a bold red colour to highlight the stars name. The sell line uses the social integration theory- the audience wants to know about Bob’s life so that they feel closer to him. It also corresponds to the main image of him.