1. RESEARCH OF
MAGAZINE FRONT
COVER

2. Banner
MastHea
d
Lure
Main
image
Advertoria
l
Headline
Cover
Line
Barcode
Secondary
Images

3. Masthead:
The masthead conforms to the conventions of a magazine
as it is place at the top of the front cover. The bold
irregular black text stands out on the electric blue
background capturing the attention of their rock and heavy
metal audience. Although the model is in front of the
Masthead it is still recognisable.
Selling Line:
On this issue of ‘KERRANG’ magazine the selling line is ‘7
AMAZING POSTERS’ the reader will see that buying the
magazine comes with 7 poster of artists that’s they maybe
a huge fan of. It is also at the top of the magazine which
conforms to the conventions of media and the white and
red text on a black background allows the magazine to
stand out and capture the readers attention.
Main Image:
The main image is of the lead singer from ‘Black Veil
Brides’ ‘Andy Biersack’ who is placed in the centre of the
magazine creating a focal point . The shot that was
used, was a Medium shot as we can see the model from
waste up which is a common shot for magazines. The
angle that was used is a slightly low angle shot which
could be used to emphasise how intimidating he is as he
says ‘I’M READY TO KILL’ adding effect to the main pull.
Pull-quotes:
There are other pull-quotes with the exclusive and to
support the headline, showing what one can find inside.
They are used to appeal to the audience.
Advertorial:
‘WIN TICKETS TO READING. LEEDS’ entice the reader

4. Secondary Images:
The use of other images on the front cover is unusual
as other music magazines such as ‘Billboard’ do not
do this, as it can draw focus away from the main
image. But the addition of extra images can advertise
what else the magazine has to offer. Not only does the
images give a deeper insight to what the magazine
contains, it may also appeal to the younger (teenage)
readers who are more likely to purchase the magazine
as they get a visual perception of magazine instead of
huge amount text.
Plug:
The plug is on the left side of the magazine under the
masthead. The plug is used to capture the attention
and interest of the audience. The white and yellow text
stand out against the red background almost forcing
the reader to look at it. However it is not the main focal
point to the magazine it just adds to the front cover and
encourages the audience to buy and read the
magazine
Fonts:
There are a maximum of 3 different colour
(Red, White, Yellow) used on the front cover which
does conform to the convention of real media. The
colours also correspond with the colour scheme of the
magazine i.e. the Red text corresponds with the plug
and/or the Headline.
Barcode:
The placement of the barcode conforms to the

5. Publisher Company:
•Kerrang is published by a German publishing
company called Bauer Media Group.
•Bauer Media group owns 50% of the British Television
Company – Box Television
•Kerrang is the biggest selling weekly rock magazine
•The total circulation (availability) is 37,603
•Bauer publish Kerrang magazine in a few different
countries
•Bauer Media Group also work alongside Box
Television and which are responsible for a many
popular music channels such as ‘Smash Hits’
Bauer has created many different platforms for
Kerrang such as Kerrang TV and Kerrang Radio

6. •Kerrang is a magazine that is completely devoted to
rock however it used to be a magazine that focused on
the up rise of British heavy metal and rock, so the
magazine tries to incorporate some of their original
elements.
•Kerrang magazine conforms to the genre of Rock. We
witness this through the use of text, images and the
overall house style of the magazine. For example Andy
Biersack is on the front cover of Kerrang and he is in a
rock group which reinforces the type of genre Kerrang
represents. Also the vigorous front cover heightens the
magazines rock nature.
•Kerrang slogan is ‘Life is loud’ and they want to
breakaway from the norms of popular music and show
a unique and different side to the music industry. We
can see that their slogan has taken full shape in the
construction of their magazine as it is very bold/loud
and it is very different to the other rock magazines
such as ‘NME’

7. •Kerrang magazine appeals to a specific audience
because the topic and themes that are inside the
magazine might not appeal to everyone. It would appeal
to those who have an interest in the rock genre and its
content.
•The fact that the model is looking directly into the
camera lens could suggest he is looking/reaching out to
his audience. This would make the audience feel
connected to the artist and more inclined to purchase
and read the magazine.
•It appears that the magazine is aimed at a younger
audience possibly aged 15-27 male and female. It is
debatable that the magazine is predominately male but
Kerrang still reaches out to both genders. The magazine
appeals to its target audience through the use of its
fonts, colour scheme and the artists involvement. The
magazine has a very modern look and is always
evolving with the rock industry.
•This magazine would fall into the social grade of C,D
and E. the reason why I chose these grades is because
with the age group I thought this magazine was targeted
at they may be skilled workers but they may also be
students.
•Andy Biersack looks like someone who is in a rockband
through the style of his hair, the makeup, the piercings

8. MAGAZINE COVER 2

9. Hook
Masthead
Exclusive
Secondary
images
Headline
Cover
lines
Banner

10. Masthead:
The masthead conforms to the conventions of a magazine as
it is place at the top of the front cover. The bold white text
really stands out against the background forcing the reader to
look at it. It is also conforms to magazine front covers as
many of them do have the model/artist covering a bit of the
masthead however it is still recognisable.
Main Image:
The main image is of the lead singer from ’30 Seconds To
Mars’ called ‘Jared Leto’. He is placed in the centre of the
magazine which many magazine tend to do creating a focal
point to the magazine and it draws the readers in. The shot
that was used was a medium shot as we can see the model
from the waste up. The angle that was used looks like a slight
low angle shot as the model doesn’t appear to be completely
on the same level as the camera.
Pull-quotes:
Interestingly there is not a main pull on this front cover and
one may say that it challenges the conventions of media.
However it could have been done to attract the audience
without giving the reader too much information. There are
other pull-quotes with the exclusives and there are many on
the left third, showing what one can find inside. They are
used to appeal to the audience and give them an insight into
exciting topics.
Banner:
On this particular magazine the banner is at the bottom which
again one could say that it challenges the convention of
media as it usually about above the masthead. However the
banner is another indication to the reader of what is install.
The banner is used to encourage the reader to open up the
magazine and read it. The colours used also attract the

11. Secondary Images:
The use of other images on the front cover is unusual as
other music magazines such as ‘Q’ do not do this, as it can
draw focus away from the main image. But the addition of
extra images can advertise what else the magazine has to
offer. Not only does the images give a deeper insight to
what the magazine contains, it may also appeal to the
younger (teenage) readers who are more likely to
purchase the magazine as they get a visual perception of
magazine instead of huge amount text.
Fonts:
There are 4 different colour (Red, White, Yellow and Black)
used on the front cover which does conform to the
convention of real media. The bold white masthead also
corresponds with the exclusive running across the bottom
of the magazine. The colours also correspond with the
colour scheme of the magazine i.e. the yellow text
corresponds with the yellow Banner.
Barcode:
The placement of the barcode conforms to the
conventions of real media. The barcode is used to indicate
the price and release date.
Hook:
The hook is placed at the top of the front cover and is
used to capture the attention of the reader. It is interesting
that they decided to use a different colour so that it is not
drawing attention from the masthead. It is also used
capture the attention and attract any potential fans. ‘ALL
TIME LOW’ is also in another colour to the rest of the text
so that particular text will capture the fans attention and

12. Publisher Company:
•Kerrang is published by a German publishing
company called Bauer Media Group.
•Bauer Media group owns 50% of the British Television
Company – Box Television
•Kerrang is the biggest selling weekly rock magazine
•The total circulation (availability) is 37,603
•Bauer publish Kerrang magazine in a few different
countries
•Bauer Media Group also work alongside Box
Television and which are responsible for a many
popular music channels such as ‘Smash Hits’
Bauer has created many different platforms for
Kerrang such as Kerrang TV and Kerrang Radio

13. •Kerrang is a magazine that is completely devoted to
rock however it used to be a magazine that focused on
the up rise of British heavy metal and rock, so the
magazine tries to incorporate some of their original
elements.
•Kerrang magazine conforms to the genre of Rock. We
witness this through the use of text, images and the
overall house style of the magazine. For example
Jared Leto is on the front cover of Kerrang and he is
in a rock group which reinforces the type of genre
Kerrang represents. Also the vigorous front cover
heightens the magazines rock nature. Even the body
language and costume of the model goes against the
dominant mainstream ideology which is exactly what
the magazine wants. Each pose, each costume is
unique and almost rebels against mainstream
ideology.
•Kerrang slogan is ‘Life is loud’ and they want to
breakaway from the norms of popular music and show
a unique and different side to the music industry. We
can see that their slogan has taken full shape in the
construction of their magazine as it is very bold/loud
and it is very different to the other rock magazines
such as ‘NME’

14. •Kerrang magzine appeals to a specific audience
because the topic and themes that are inside the
magazine might not appeal to everyone. It would appeal
to those who have an interest in the rock genre and its
content.
•The fact that the model is looking directly into the
camera lens could suggest he is looking/reaching out to
his audience. This would make the audience feel
connected to the artist and more inclined to purchase
and read the magazine.
•It appears that the magazine is aimed at a younger
audience possibly aged 15-27 male and female. It is
debatable that the magazine is predominately male but
Kerrang still reaches out to both genders. The magazine
appeals to its target audience through the use of its
fonts, colour scheme and the artists involvement. The
magazine has a very modern look and is always
evolving with the rock industry.
•Jared Leto doesn’t look as though he has been dressed
up and had his make up done to look immaculate but
instead he looks normal and genuine which represents
other musicians in the rock industry and shows that
they’re being themselves and that is what the audience
may find appealing the fact that artists that are
unpretentious.

15. MAGAZINE COVER 3

16. Masthead
Main Image
Lure
Cover Lines
Exclusive
Kicker
Barcode

17. Masthead:
The masthead conforms to other magazines as it placed at
the very top of the magazine. With the addition of the
artist/model covering a small fraction of the title it makes this
magazine similar to the other magazines. The attention can
be drawn to the masthead as they have filled in some of the
letters using bold colours which helps illuminate the
magazine and make it stand out from its competitors. The
masthead is Billboards trademark and also shows a fun
element to the magazine.
Main Image:
The main image is of the singer pink. The magazine has
done something different to other magazine. The image is the
only image on the front cover which does help create a focal
point however one could say that there is a lot to look at as
the page is filled with a lot of writing. Another feature that
challenges the conventions of media is that shot that they
used. Normally magazine front covers use a medium shot but
I think that the use of a long shot really works as it adds more
emphasise on ‘PINK’. This shot seems to be a low angle shot
because the subject seems to be higher than the camera and
the model is looking down to the lens.
Cover lines:
The cover lines are on the left third of the magazine are not
giving a lot of information away but they have emphasised
the artist that one can find inside the magazine making them
more inclined to purchasing it. The synopses is very small
which one could say is effective that small detail might be
enough to persuade the reader to buy the magazine in order
to read more.
Hook:
The hook is above the masthead drawing attention to the

18. Barcode:
The barcode is on the left hand side of the magazine
and it also tells the reader how much is it to purchase
this magazine and the date of release. This does
conforms to the conventions of media as it is crucial to
have information about the price range and date. Above
the barcode is also a website where readers can easy
access and check out.
Lure:
The magazine also has a lure which completely stands
out from the rest of the front cover. The white and black
against the red background makes the reader easily
drawn to that section. Again there is not much
information that is given about that article but it done to
attract the reader attention. Also fans of Taylor swift will
purchase this magazine from the little detail that is
provided.
Graphics:
The graphics of this magazine is very different to other
music magazine however it does relate to its chosen
genre. The bold vibrant colours correspond with the
uniqueness of this magazine. It doesn’t just focus on one
genre but many making the magazine versatile and that
is clearly shown through the text and layout of the
magazine.

19. Publisher Company:
• Billboards production company is Prometheus Global
Media which was a monthly magazine but later
became a weekly magazine.
•The magazine was first published November 1st, 1894
•The magazine was founded by William H. Donaldson
James Hennegan
•It is one of the oldest magazine in the industry.
•It is a magazine that hasn’t restricted itself to one
particular genre but is open to all genres and we can
see this through the range of colours on the magazine.

20. •Billboard is based on digital sales, radio airplay and
internet streaming data. This allows the magazine to
reach out to its wide international target audience.
•Billboard is most recognised for being open to all
genre and successfully tracking the music industry and
keep their reader up to date on a weekly basis.
•Billboard try to stand out and differentiate itself from
its competitors with its unique design and it’s wide
target audience. The magazine doesn’t restrict itself to
one genre which not a lot of magazine do. Therefore it
has a very wide audience and they have tried to
structure the magazine so that the simplistic approach
will still capture the attention of their readers but also
potential new ones.
•As this magazine has been around from a long time it
has changed its style to match the industry yet keep a
very contemporary look with the addition of artist from
different genres of music.
•The Billboard magazine also follows it BillBoard Hot
100 chart, therefore the magazine follows its own set
of ideas.

21. •Billboards target audience is mainly for young adults and
teenagers 16-30. And it is debatable that it can read out to
an older audience. The magazine reaches out to a wide
audience therefore it may be a little challenging design the
magazine in a way that appeals to everyone.
•The design of the magazine is very simplistic with the
grey background and bold black writing. However the
magazine decides to illuminate the magazine based on
which artist they have on the front cover of that magazine.
As we can see the magazine still has its simplistic
approach but with the addition of ‘PINK’ it brightens up and
enlivens the magazine front cover.
•Each artist they decide to have on their magazine helps
influence the style and uniqueness of the magazine front
cover.
•Billboard can reach out to a wide audience as they have
chosen very neutral colours like black and white. But the
two colours work well against the background and can
easily appeal to a wide range of people, instead of
choosing bubblegum pink which might limit their target
audience. However the pink on the cover works well as it
represent the artists stage name.
•The artist is also making direct contact with the audience
and this will make the audience feel as they have a
connection with the artist. This will make them more
enticed to buy the magazine.