College Magazine Cover Analysis (1/3)

1) Masthead - The "COLLEGE" masthead is in bright, block capitals and definitely stands out. Despite some of the masthead being covered by the student we can still make out what the word says and even if some people didn't know what the word was they would probably know from buying other issues. It also suggests that the person on the cover is more important than the magazine itself. It's a technique that Rolling Stone Magazine often uses. The background is mainly black or dark grey which makes the green masthead stand out substantially.

2) Cover Line(s) - The main cover line says 'Dancehall's Bright Future.' It is the biggest cover line with regard to font which suggest 'Dancehall' is the person on the cover. Because the reader has a visual representation of 'Dancehall' and they know the article is about him they will feel compelled to read it. He looks polite and the "Law" and "Society" books in his hand suggest he's going to be successful. However the cross around his neck isn't something someone would associate with a student because it is very big and 'blingy.' This suggests to the reader he is a person that hasn't come from means or wealth and is working for his success hence "Bright Future" This will definitely make the reader compelled to read the article because many people enjoy an underdog story.

The second cover line says "Why We Love Blackberry" and when this magazine was published was when Blackberry phones were on the rise with regard to popularity and sales, as oppose to today were Blackberry is not very popular at all. This cover line is trying to apply to technology, computing and IT students in an attempt to sell more magazines to a wider variety of students.

Another cover-line says "Make Money On Campus" which as oppose to the previous cover line, applies to every student. Money is a very important issue to all students because it is something they need. Many students find themselves having great difficulty with regard to money because they have to pay fees, buy equipment and revision materials and etc. Most students probably find they don't have a lot of money and so to make money on campus, a place where they usually find themselves, is probably very intriguing to them and will definitely persuade some people to buy this magazine.


3) The Central Image - The centrel image is of a relatively well-dressed ethnic student who looks to be around 17-21. As I mentioned before the cross around his neck suggests he does not come from means and is climbing his way up a ladder of success. The fact he is ethnic might also suggest this too as many ethnic minorities are disadvantaged in some way yet he is still trying to be successful. It will make the reader feel emotionally obliged to read his story (and therefore buy the magazine) He is also smiling which suggests he is a nice person, which again will persuade a person to read his story.

4) Layout and Design - The Majority of cover lines are on the outside of the magazine and mainly do not cover the the central image which makes him the main focus of peoples attention. There is a bar-code on the bottom left-hand corner and a plug next to the students' right shoulder titled "SPLAT" which is probably some kind of competition or activity. The main colour schemes are black, white and sort of off-green colour. They all compliment each other, especially the green masthead on a black background.