Existing magazine names and master heads

The magazine name is written in an edgy font that suits the magazine genre, rock. The shattered glass effect, gives off the impression of anger and rebellion, which is often associated with rock. ‘Kerrang’ sounds like the noise made when playing a power chord on a distorted electric guitar. Furthermore, the exclamation mark at the end of the title, creates a dramatic effect that stresses the title. Also, black links well with the rock genre of the magazine; rock artist often wear black clothing and their music equipment such as their amplifiers and drums are usually coloured in black. In contrast, the white font of the magazine name makes the title more noticeable in the eyes of the audience. It also contradicts the dark connotations of black by signifying peace, kindness and purity.

The name ‘we love pop’ suggests informality giving off a fun, happy vibe to the audience. The name relates to younger generations love for pop music; the ‘we’ addresses the audience directly, making them express their passion for pop music by purchasing the magazine. The pink heart has connotations of love, happiness and energy, making the title literally pop and capture the audience’s attention. In addition, the speech bubble on the master head is an icon commonly used by teenagers it also suggest the ‘we love pop’ is a written opinion from the makers of the magazine. Furthermore, the black font contrasts with the background so that the title is clearly visible to the audience.

Unlike other magazine masterheads, q magazine follows a simplistic, professional design. The name originates from cueing a record, ready to play, which links effectively to the magazines musical aspects. The masterhead gives off a professional mature vibe as the letter ‘Q’ is written in a classy font which reflects the magazines alternative genre. In addition the masthead is placed inside a red square, this clearly distinguishes the bold title, ‘Q’ which makes it recognisable to the audience. The colour red is a powerful and dominate colour which highlights the importance of the magazine masthead. The flick of the ‘Q’ reinforces this illusion of professionalism as the magazine is depicted to be a sophisticated magazine.

The text is written in a solid, bold font, this reinforces the magazines serious approach to music. The masthead makes a professional statement to the audience through the use of a plain, contemporary colour, black. This could also perhaps refer to Vibe’s target audience, Black people. Furthermore, the title ‘vibe’ perhaps refers to the emotional vibes created through R&B and hip hop music. Also, the V, I and B of the master head are all in capital letters, whilst the ‘e’ is in lower case. This suggests that Vibe magazine does not specialise in a main stream genre and that they aim to be different from other music magazines by creating their own signature look. In addition, the ‘V’ and the ‘I’ are very angular compared to the ‘B’ and ‘e’ which are more cursive and smoothly edged. This reflects on the fact that vibe is aimed at a audience consisting of young adults.