Front Cover Overview

Each of the six front covers feature typical magazine front cover conventions.

They are each front covers of ‘We Love Pop’ magazine so are produced with the

intention of attracting pop fans and making them want to buy the magazine. By

comparing these front covers, it is likely to identify shared features and repeated

patterns used by ‘We Love Pop’.

Each of these front covers follows the general and layout conventions of a

magazine front cover. There are expected features of a main image that

dominates the cover, along with multiple sell-lines surrounding the image that

relate to the articles inside. Each front cover has feature article photographs,

however the quantity varies between these front covers. They each feature the

same masthead in an appropriate font that is in the same position on each front

cover. Typical of pop magazines, all front covers are busy and jam-packed with

content.

There is a mixture of male and female artists that feature on the cover. Some are

solo artists, while others are in girl and boy bands. This suggests that, although

the target audience is female, they are interested in pop artists of both genders

and of all varieties. The reason for this is that the target audience consists of

teenage girls who are most likely to like an artist like Justin Bieber because they

have a crush on him, and like an artist like Katy Perry because they enjoy her music

and aspire to be like her. This explains why it is common for a variety of artists to

feature on the front cover of a pop magazine. In pop magazines, there are both

female and male solo artists and female and male group artists. The use of a range

of female and male Pop artists in this magazine shows that neither sex dominates

the Pop music industry, whilst this range could ensure that the magazine appeals

to a wider target audience of pop fans and offers its readership greater variety.

Repeated patterns are shown in the colour scheme presented on each front

cover. They all use a variety of bright, florescent, eye catching colours. The most

common ones used are blue and pink, however the colour scheme appears to vary

between issues using other colours such as orange and peach. However, although

the colour scheme varies, each issue seems to feature at least one of the main

colours of ‘We Love Pop’, blue or pink. This allows the brand identity to be shown

throughout every issue. By using a variety of colours, the magazine can appeal to

a wider target audience, as their favourite colours would be featured on at least

one issue. Generally, however, all colours featured will appeal to a bubbly young

female and serve to successfully reflect the fun and lively personality of pop and

the up beat style of the music itself.

In each image, the artist is making direct address. This would appeal to the target

audience as it creates a personal feel to the magazine and makes the audience

feel that the artist is looking at and communicating exclusively with them,

appealing to them to pick up the magazine – a powerful effect when the artist

looking at you is one that you have a crush on. This can help to boost circulation

figures. It also features a popular pop artist that the TA would want and expect to

see featuring in a pop magazine. Justin Bieber for example, is one of the most

popular male solo artists in the world, while One Direction are also loved and

fancied the world over. This would draw in the TA, as they would see their

favourite artist on the cover and want to buy the magazine to find out more about

them. There are also similarities in terms of the mise-en-scene presented in the

images. In terms of costume, the male artists that feature look quite casual, yet

stylish wearing denim, casual shirts and hoodies. One Direction, for example, are

dressed in denim jackets, t-shirts and jeans. This is perfect, as it makes them look

on trend, but also like normal, approachable guys that could be part of your

world. While the female artists, on the other hand, are shown wearing pretty

dresses and skirts in vibrant patterns and embellishments, like the sparkles/jewels

on Rihanna’s white dress. These looks are ones that are common with other pop

artists and that emphasise the femininity and beauty of the artists. While on their

covers, Katy Perry and Rihanna are presented looking flawless, on the front cover

featuring The Saturdays, the girls are shown with makeup smudged on their faces

and their hair in rollers. However, this image that presents chaos relates to the

main feature article and goes to show that pop magazines are prepared to have

fun with their images. You would be unlikely to see such fun and frolics on a

magazine promoting another genre.

Another shared feature is that each front cover contains feature article

photographs. Generally, these seem to showcase articles that the audience would

be interested in. However, they can also be images relating to posters inside the

magazine. The feature article photographs usually accompany sell-lines relating to

the private lives and antics of the artists or surreal subject matter. On one front

cover, for example, refers to 1D and girlfriends, while another talks about McFly

and a cat attack. This shows that the typical pop fan are most interested in the

gossip about their favourite artists, while the typical young female in her early

teens like to read surreal stories. However, as shown in these six front covers, the

amount of feature article photographs can vary. For example, on the Justin Bieber

cover there are multiple feature article photographs, whereas on the Katy Perry

cover there is only one. There are, however, images of fashion items, another

common feature on the front cover of We Love Pop.

On each front cover, the signature ‘We Love Pop’ masthead features in the

signature font and in the exact same position. Each time, the masthead is written

in black with the heart in the main colour of that issue, and the box behind it is in

the form of a speech bubble, just like the ones that appear when writing a text

message on a modern smartphone, in the same colour. This establishes a fun,

feminine mood for the magazine and relates to the audience’s love of

communicating via technology. The image appears to be placed around the

masthead, with the main focus of the image dominating the right hand side of the

cover, while the masthead and the majority of the sell-lines feature on the left.

Like feature-article photographs, the amount of sell-lines on an issue varies from

each issue. Each issue features the name of the artist as the main sell-line in the

We Love Pop signature font, with either a pull-quote or sub-information appearing

underneath it. The layout of each issue appears to vary with some issue featuring

lots on images and sell-lines, and others only featuring a few of each. However,

‘We Love Pop’ still manages to create a symbiotic link between its front covers

and show a familiar brand identity in each issue, as all the front covers appear to

be fairly jam-packed with information, giving the impression that there is lots for

the target audience to enjoy.

The mise en-scene in these 6 front covers are very similar. The majority of the

artists on these front covers are in a simple pose and are smiling directly at the

camera. The female artists are all wearing natural looking makeup with a bright

lipstick. This makes the artists look bright and bubbly but also natural. This

promotes the importance of natural beauty to the target audience.

Having carried out this overview, it is clear that ‘We Love Pop’ has its own brand

identity and signature look that can be easily recognized by its target audience.

This is maintained through the repetition of stylistic features from issue to issue

and is a great way of helping the magazine succeed and maintain a loyal fan base.