Magazine Cover Analysis 2

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Acoustic Magazine

This music magazine is about acoustic music and is therefore likely to have a safer and less aggressive tone than Kerrang. There is evidence of this from the logo, as it is in standard block capitals, possibly to give the a more mature appearance. However, the letters overlap each other horizontally, giving a more stylistic form to the text. This would suggest that the target audience are people with a similar style to the magazine, stylistic yet mature, which can appeal to all ages. The subtitle to the logo reads The UK's only dedicated acoustic guitar magazine. This informs the reader of the magazine's status and would appeal to people who take acoustic guitars seriously, as they have no other option. Both titles are in white, a colour which stands out well over a dark blue colour, helping the magazine to attract attention. Other titles which inform of different articles are titled in yellow. This colour is used to standout, making them easy to read on the blue background. It is also used as a stamplike logo informing us of a competition used to promote the magazine, so you can tell you have a chance of winning a prize just from the front cover. However, the prize does not say what exactly it is, just giving the brand name Washburn D10 SCE. A newcomer to acoustic music is unlikely to know whether this is an acoustic guitar, an amplifier or another object. This shows that experience with acoustic guitars is needed to understand the contents, suggesting the target audience must have some previous knowledge on acoustic guitars before reading.

The main image of the cover is of the musician Taj Mahal. His name is also written in white and is of a similar style to the magazine's logo. This not only causes his name to stand out to attract existing fans of his, but also keeps consistency within the cover's titles. From the man's image, it is possible to assume that he is a blues musician. Evidence of this includes how he is in blue, he has a white trilby, is holding an acoustic guitar and is wearing a suit and tie, all of which are associated with blues fashion. This also is supported by his African American ethnicity, a race which is credited for the rise of blues music. His formal clothing give the impression of sophistication, but his facial expression and colours of blue and yellow are vibrant and colourful, deviating him from the norm and giving a more exciting appearance. Overall, his appearance matches the aforementioned style of the magazine. The other man on the cover is another acoustic guitarist, who is in monochrome. This is to separate him from Taj Mahal's vibrance and to possibly emphasise that he is of a different style. His clothing also shows his differences, as he is dressed in a more casual way with an open jacket and an unshaven face. We can tell he is unlikely to be a blues muscian and more likely to be of a indie rock music background. His appearance on the cover would represent the magazine's diversity, showing that it is not just a blues magazine. The third image shows a single black combo amp. It's appearance is likely to represent the magazine's technical knowledge as it presents a contrast with the other two images. This increases the chances of someone reading the magazine because of the broad range of interests which are represented by these three images.