Magazine cover research: best ever?

This image comes across as powerful to me, especially if we look at its context. This was a tribute issue of Vogue magazine to commemorate Diana's death. As this is not a celebratory occasion, the image is quite plain and simple, much like the whole cover page of the magazine. The main image on the cover is a simple studio shot of princess Diana, looking happy and relaxed. This was perhaps done as a nice way to remember her. The text on the page (the dates of Diana's birth and death, the title of the magazine, the price and issue) are in white, so as not to dominate much space within the page. I think also this cover may not stand out in your memory for years to come, it's a caring and fitting tribute to the princess, which is likely to make people buy this issue of the magazine. As Diana was in the public eye so much, especially for goodwill endeavours such as charity work, Diana was given the name 'the people's princess'. As such, many people in the public may think that Diana was somewhat of a friend to them, and due to the mass amount of media coverage she gained, fans/readers may have believe that to an extent, they knew her. This makes all the difference in trying to convince readers to buy an issue of their magazine.

What this issue of "Tattler" magazine has done is very clever. It has been laid out in the style of The Sex Pistols - Nevermind The Bollocks album cover, from the greyscale on the image of Margaret Thatcher, to the typeface on the headline. As The Sex Pistols were most commonly known as a Punk Rock band, the headline of the magazine is very appropriate - "this woman (Margaret Thatcher) was once a punk". Now, this could mean that the magazine is trying to convey two things;

• that there is no cause to hate/dislike Thatcher, as after all, she was once a punk too, like The Sex Pistols or;
• that Thatcher has thrown away her previous values and lifestyle, betrayed punk almost.

In regards to this, I'm not actually sure which of the two messages the magazine is trying to convey. Either way, I feel that this is a very clever wordplay, as to punks, the style of this front cover will be very recognisable and accessible to them, making them more likely to buy this magazine, to read further and to find out exactly what they may have in common with the Prime Minister.

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This is a typical example of a celebrity gossip magazine. The main feature of this magazine cover is a picture of Victoria Beckham looking ill and frail, backed up by a quote that reads 'Doctor's chilling prediction for shrinking star... "Posh's bones could be brittle and her body in pain - this is really serious"'. Although, in reality, this is none of our business, this is exactly the kind of headline that will reel in a reader and possibly, although the don't know Victoria Beckham, feel concern for her. The more we read these kinds of magazines, the more we as the public feel like we know these celebrities, we're their friends, and so this growing concern and attachment continues. In order to fully put across the severity of the headline, there are several devices used;

• a small text box to tell us who the quote has come from;
• red text for the first half of the quote which tells us what is actually wrong with Victoria;
• black text for the second half of the quote which tells us how big a problem this is;
• and the word really is underlined so as to convey as much as is possible how serious this health issue is for Victoria.

Using the term 'Posh' coloquially like this is another device used to entrap the reader into believing that they are familiar with Victoria, making them more likely to want to buy the magazine to read the full artical and completely reassure themselves that the star is okay. There are other, smaller, headlines to give readers some insight into what else will be featured within the magazine. As these are not the main stories, they are in different fonts and are smaller and more hidden away. This way, they are still visible without the eye of the reader  being drawn away from the main feature.
 

This image is for NME magazine and features Beth Ditto from the band "The Gossip" on the cover. At the time of release, this cover was seen as very controversial. This was because Beth Ditto was not what many may consider attractive, on account of her weight. This issue of NME magazine challenged that view in a very shocking way, as it is usually thin, 'attractive' girls we see as cover models. The issue of NME magazine has used a range of techniques to produce an eye-catching and attractive cover. 

The colour theme of the issue is red, black, white and yellow. This is all linked in together, as even Beth Ditto's nails, lipstick and the lipstick mark on her body fit in with this scheme. The background is yellow, and nothing else, otherwise the colours may blend in. The magazine has all the critical components - the unique and recognisable title image, coverlines, vital information (such as the barcode, price, and website info), and a giveaway. In this instance, the giveaway is free posters. This is a vital feature to making readers want to buy the magazine. On the cover, we find out what bands are talked about within the magazine, along with a glimpse of some of the features. This is another ploy to get readers attention, and to entice them into buying.

This is from a Radio Times magazine cover, from April 2005. It features the Daleks, a race of characters from the sci-fi show Doctor Who. This was taken and used to celebrate the return of the Doctor Who show, and is aiming to attract readers who may have preconceived ideas of what Doctor Who is. In a clever ploy, the people of Radio Times magazine have placed an image of the Dalek's now, and the Dalek's in the original series of Doctor Who. This tells readers that Doctor Who has been redesigned and renewed. Another way of gaining the interest of the readers is a giveaway - a free Dalek poster for every reader.  Although the font of the title is quite plain, it's recognisable to avid readers of the magazine. The magazine has all the vital information, including the date, the price and a barcode. It also has coverlines, which tell us what will be featured within the magazine and make us want to read further.