Magazine Cover Analysis 1

 

Vogue is a fashion-based style magazine produced by Condé Nast, with a primarily female target audience aged 25-34. The audience is typically affluent and fashion-conscious, which is emphasised through the cover above, and they have a preference for luxury brands. The secondary audience for Vogue is typically a younger, Generation Z audience of 16–24-year-old women. The cover above is the March 2018 edition, and part of a dual cover featuring Bella Hadid.  

Like all covers of Vogue, the masthead is bold, taking up the top horizontal third of the magazine cover. It quickly establishes the Vogue brand, making it easily recognisable from the top for audiences. This is coupled with Serif fonts, creating a strong, sophisticated air for the magazine. The masthead specifically takes up the largest font size, showing its importance.  

This specific cover uses colours that strongly emphasise the idea of wealth, glamour and luxury. In specific, the silvery-grey background connotes modernity within the Vogue brand, acting as a subtle way of trying to target a younger audience. The gold copy carries further connotations of luxury and high status, confirming the sophistication of the Vogue brand. Like most magazine covers, black and white is also used to help add contrast and separate the coverlines from the image. Gigi Hadid is dressed in a dark dress, which contrasts with her skin – this emphasises both her outfit and her body, which conforms to standards of female beauty, creating a role model for appearances. Furthermore, as the main image, Gigi Hadid is typically more recognisable to the younger female audience, acting as a role model and a way to attract buyers. 

The main coverline carries limited information but suggests a sense of exclusivity for the season - ‘Spring Fashion Issue.’ The main story is highlighted in a regular coverline, but is likely to be part of the main coverline, due to it matching with the main cover image. It could also suggest an exclusive interview. The other coverlines are primarily focused on gossip, attracting a wide female audience. There is also one coverline referencing mental health, reminding the readership of its importance. 

The cover above in specific does not have a date line, nor a selling line. After further research, one copy of Vogue costs, on average, around £7.70. This emphasises the luxury ideals of the brand. 

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Masthead: 

• Bold - ‘Vogue’ 

• Layered at the top 

• Establishes the brand 

• The same font and size as most vogue covers 

Colour Scheme: 

• Silvery-grey background: connotations of wealth, grace, glamour and modernity 

• Suggests the sophistication of the Vogue brand 

• Gold lettering: connotations of wealth, luxury and high status 

• Black and white: used in most magazine covers – contrast with each other – helps to separate the coverlines 

Fonts (Sizes): 

• 2 different fonts – both Serif fonts – sophisticated air 

• 3 font sizes 

Main Image: 

• Gigi Hadid 

• The magazine comes paired with a cover that has Bella Hadid instead 

• Famous American model and TV personality 

• Recognisable to a younger audience – attempt to attract younger woman to buy the magazine 

Supporting Images: 

• None 

Cover Lines: 

• One coverline relating to fashion – emphasises the fact that it is primarily a fashion magazine 

• Several gossip stories – engaging to the teenage-young adult female audience 

• Mix of celebrity gossip and brand gossip 

• One coverline on mental health – reminds the audience of its importance 

Main Cover Line: 

• ‘Spring Fashion Issue’ - suggests exclusivity, special issue 

• ‘The power of the Hadids’ - presumably the main story, based on the cover model – gossip, and presumably an interview 

• Brand exclusivity – probably an exclusive interview that would only be featured within Vogue  

Dateline/Selling Line: 

• None present 

• Cover for March 2018 

• Subscription: £19 every six months – first six for £1 

• £39 every year 

• Magazine.com offers a subscription from £12 

• Average print issue of Vogue is £7.70 - exclusivity, higher class 

Rule of Thirds: 

• All covers in the left vertical third 

• Masthead in the top horizontal third 

• Cover image takes up two vertical thirds – main image – importance 

Target Audience: 

• Primarily female audience 

• Aged 25-34 

• Audience is primarily affluent and fashion conscious – emphasised by the sophisticated colours and high price – luxury brands 

• Secondary audience of 16-24 year olds – younger audience – Gen Z