Q magazine front cover analysis

Music magazine front cover

 From the front cover on the front cover of this magazine it seems that this particular issue is going to be a tribute to the man on the front cover who is john Lennon. For this magazine the audience is anyone who enjoys john Lennon’s music. However because his music is fairly dated I would say it was for older readers. The central image in this picture is used to try and create a feel of respect for this artist and what he has done. They have done this by only putting him on the front page and no one else which brings the focus to him. Also the contrast between black and white on this cover has been used to bring a remembrance to him and his music. The anchorage text on the cover supports the fact that it is a tribute to John Lennon as one article is named “Lennon at 70” which shows that it is his birthday and the magazine is about remembering his music. The message given from this front cover is that John Lennon was a great musician and he should be given credit for it on his birthday. On the front cover of this magazine it has a buzz word which is “unseen” this makes the reader feel as if they are going to find out something that no one else knows and therefore they will be more likely to buy it. The title of this magazine “Q” is very ambiguous in its name as it has no real meaning making the reader interpret the title differently whenever it is written. This means it could mean a lot of things such as "question". It could stand for "question" because this magazine has many celebrity interviews and it may be highlighting the fact that this magazine is not scared to ask questions that may be controversial. The image of the title is very simple yet makes it stand out. The magazine has decided on a colour scheme for the title of red and white. These colours could be seen to represent a higher market audience. The red and white also make the symbol both bold and clear and making it seem attractive and appealing to the reader.  Also there was a gold outline going around the front cover which also is a colour which is associated with a higher class market. The puffs on the front cover of this magazine are all off bands who are involved with the rock and indie/rock scene. It shows that people who like bands such as the “Kings of Leon” would enjoy this magazine and they are trying to draw the readers in by mentioning them on the front cover. The red and white colour scheme is continued from the title on to the page as the background is now white and the headlines or the puffs are red. This colour is very bright and eye-catching and by putting it on such a blank background it makes it seem even more absorbing. Also the gold banner around the edge of the magazine brings attention to the text that is on the top of the magazine which makes it seem more significant as it says “collector’s edition”. The magazine used a range of different techniques to try and draw the reader in and persuade them to by the magazine. One strategy they use to draw the reader in is by using a colour scheme that makes the headlines more noticeable and make them stand out more. They also break the colour scheme with the text “4 to collect” this makes the reader feel as if this magazine is important as it is a rarity and also is advertising the next few issues.