Magazines Cover Review

Recently, I and a number of others reviewed analyzed and discussed several different magazines all varying in styles and genres to understand what they were trying to achieve in their works. When I initially looked over the several magazines, they just looked like advertisements and words piled on top of each other with no order or organization. But after digging into the layout of the magazines, I noticed various methods of organization and typography around the pages. I noticed how different colors and fonts were used to appeal to different people and times. In a greater analysis, I noticed that all the magazines they had some sort of consistent layout throughout their releases.  

For example, one of the magazines I viewed was a release of the Rolling Stones. At first glance, it looked like any other magazine with a famous person on the cover to try to grab people's attention. But at further thought, it was apparent that Rolling Stones magazine was trying to appeal to people interested in music. They had a famous musician on the cover, and the feature articles had backgrounds that matched the theme of the cover and referenced the celebrity on the cover as well. The magazine was created perfectly for appealing to people interested in music, ultimately keeping their customers consistent, and keeping their cash inflow consistent as well. 

Another magazine I observed was Oprah magazine. This magazine was easier to break down since it instantly hit you with bright orange colors to signify the season of Fall. It was the October release, so the designers were matching the colors with the season. The magazine's cover had Oprah wearing festive orange colors and displaying a great big smile. The magazine was guided towards how to get over deaths and to stay joyful while mourning, which was backed up by the bright colors and expressions. The content page and featured article were organized to appeal to the expected audience. They both kept the same color formatting and organization, matching the cover page and keeping consistency.  

In contrast, the magazine Sports Illustrated appealed to generalized men by showing explicit photos of women, and sport like articles. The magazine was obviously displaying all sorts of “manly” activities and hobbies to secure the attention of their audience. Their featured article as well was engulfed around these macho subjects. 

Though throughout all the magazines, the one that stood out to me the most, but also the least was the Motor Trend magazine. To explain, the magazine, unlike the others, was straight to the point, specifically displaying advertisements and articles about cars themselves.  

Other magazines that I looked over were those that appealed to the wealthy, such as Vogue and Forbes. Though Forbes was more directed towards ideas and ways to lead towards a wealthy lifestyle, they both surrounded the idea. Vogue specifically appeals to the wealthy by showcasing all sorts of expensive clothing and looks with celebrities and other famous figures in their images. 

Though with all these strategies and organization skills, you don’t see people reading magazines as frequently as they did in the past. According to Author, Michael Scherer “The number of television channels, the number of published books, the number of Internet sites, and the number of information technologies have all skyrocketed in recent decades...”, reducing the need for people to buy magazines.  

 

Also, Playboy's Kaminsky stated that "It is absolutely critical these days to reach out and grab the reader.” This shows that the efforts in making the cover of the magazines and appealing to the correct audience are extremely important. 

Regarding my choice for deciding on the magazine for my project, I have noticed that the film stood out to me considerably more, and I am most likely going to choose the film, over the magazine. Even though I may not be familiar with the software and programs used to make the films; I believe it will be something I will enjoy working towards.