Research for Cover

So here I am, running through images of the three magazines I am using for inspiration to make my own and I realize that the covers have a lot in common. I am purposely uploading 3 magazine covers with a white background so you can see just how similar the covers truly are, and yet, you will also be able to distinguish their differences.

 As I stated in my previous post, Glamour adheres to an older audience (25-34). Essentially, magazine covers strive to entice the audience so that one will buy the magazine; hence, the cover model is Kim Kardashian, 37, who is a role model or popular figure for people in this age range. In addition, the mise-en-scene in the magazine cover, such as Kim's costume design is sexy and professional, this is used for the sole purpose of trying to get the target audience to buy the magazine in search of the same feeling. Consequently, the high key lighting used to illuminate Kim, in contrast with the white background, aids in portraying a confident tone. In a similar manner, the magazine's masthead is in big, bold, black letters, which only emphasizes the confidence that the brand is striving to achieve. On another note, the coverlines are distributed nicely throughout the page giving it a clean cut look, and the titles of the articles are those that peak the magazine's target audience's interest.

The black, elongated, bold masthead for Cosmopolitan magazine is recognized worldwide. The signature font has accredited Cosmopolitan to be a successful magazine that addresses topics such as fashion, relationships, health, etc. In correlation to the following, Kourtney Kardashian, 38, is one of the first things I would like to address about this cover magazine. Although a Kardashian as well, the mise-en-scene used here has a distinctive purpose than that in Glamour's magazine. For starters, Kourtney's costume design is a body suit, which instantly gives the celebrity a sexy vibe. Also, the set design is made to look like she's lying down half-naked in bed, alluding to sex, a common topic in this magazine. Hand-in-hand, the coverlines use words or phrases such as "hot" and "boy toys" to attract their audience. Besides the following, the coloration of the magazine is similar with primarily white, black, and pink colors; however, the blues and yellows give it some more color, appealing to a young, fun audience (18-34).

Seventeen, one can tell the differences right away. For starters, the masthead is in this aqua color which is arguably much less serious than both of the magazines above. The font for the cover lines resemble a girl's handwriting and isn't as clean as the other two. Moreover, the cover lines are ones that appeal to a younger audience with phrases like "get your parents to chill" or using hashtags and slang such as "#OOTD" to address the fashion portion of the magazine. In addition, Hailee Steinfeld, 21, is much younger than the two cover models used in the other magazines, and one can see how distinctively she is presented than the other two models.

Personally, my least favorite magazine cover is Seventeen's. I do not like how sloppy the font is compared to the other two magazines, however, I like that it is user-friendly and that it does not come off as vulgar as Cosmopolitan because they censor what they include in their content since it is for a younger audience. However, I really like Cosmopolitan's font and color scheme, I can see my magazine using a font that is more round but still giving it a confident, young feel by using similar colors and cover models. Finally, I loved how clean cut Glamour's magazine cover looked and how the cover model was presented in a classy, but sexy way through the mise-en-scene I discussed above. Ultimately, I like the white background as well, because it really makes the woman on the cover stand out. This aids in showing the models in a positive light. Magazine article "What 100 Years Of Magazine Covers Reveal About How We See Women" by Taylor Pittman emphasizes the following by stating, " As a century of fighting for equality has seen women smashing gender roles and embracing their sexuality, many magazines featuring them learned to adapt," and providing images in her article  that highlight the evolution of cover magazines in the woman's genre.

Now that I know and have deeply analyzed cover magazines, I am going to start sketching my own! Stay tuned for updates :))

Much love,

Sof

Citations:
Pittman, T. (2015, August 31). What 100 Years Of Magazine Covers Reveal About How We See Women. Retrieved March 04, 2018, from https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/100-years-of-magazine-covers-karen-x-cheng_us_55df2ea5e4b0e7117ba90546
(n.d.). Retrieved March 04, 2018, from https://www.google.com/search?q=cosmopolitan%2Bmagazine%2Bcover&rlz=1CASMAE_enUS664US664&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj-zbe5sdTZAhWDwVkKHdyhAYAQ_AUICigB&biw=911&bih=419#imgdii=lhA63GKQzOMDvM:&imgrc=1T3JdoxMpsQ3wM:
Arneson, K., Lance, J., Rosa, C., Geraghty, E., Gardner, A., Wang, E., . . . LeSavage, H. (n.d.). Fashion Trends, Beauty & Entertainment News. Retrieved March 05, 2018, from https://www.glamour.com/

(n.d.). Retrieved March 05, 2018, from https://www.google.com/search?q=Seventeen%2Bmagazine%2Bcover%2B2018&rlz=1CASMAE_enUS664US664&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&fir=sHpXyuI5_r_6NM%253A%252C-CVbo1r4-bQByM%252C_&usg=__GviGn4x0JcgDKrT0Bvy61W3L_Uo%3D&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi4ydyws9TZAhULm1kKHbBDA1cQ9QEIQTAF#imgrc=sHpXyuI5_r_6NM: