Pop Magazine

Top of The pops

Published monthly BBC magazines, priced at £2.10.

Features chart information, quizzes, song lyrics posters and is seen as a supplementary magazine for the TV show top of the pops.

It was launched in February 1955 and is famous for giving the girl group ‘The Spice Girls’ their nicknames.

It was originally marketed as the missing link between ‘Smash Hits’ and ‘NME’ but its format was gradually changed with less music content and the demographic shift to young girls between the ages of 11 and 14.

Example

Bold masthead: the white text stands out on the orange background.

Header: mentions that there is a quiz inside which attracts the audience.

Poster attracts younger girls.

Yellow and black attracts audience attention

Logo on front cover

Main image is of Justin Bieber which would attract younger girls to buy the magazine.

Mastheads

The masthead will always stand out and the consumers eye lines should be drawn to this.

The masthead should have a relation for music.

‘Top of the Pops’ is a good example of this as it involves the word pop which is a well known genre of music. Top of the pops is a well known TV show.

Coverlines

The coverlines should have some link to the featured artist of the magazine.

The band or artist must attract the chosen target audience.

This coverline from top of the pops magazine is in reference to Jessie J who is the main image on the front cover. This will attract the audience as Jessie J is a huge pop artists.

Background image

The background image should show a band or an artist who will please the target audience of the magazine.

The artist of band should be the same genre of music as the magazine too.

Example

Q magazine have featured Beyoncé as their main image for this edition of Q.

She is a dominant female and attracts a huge audience, she is also very well known by the public audience.

Colour Scheme

What the magazine producer would need to consider when picking a colour scheme would be whether the magazine is male or female

Once they have chosen this it should be made clear on the front cover.

Example: Female

At a young age, girls are attracted pink.

Bright colour’s are used which appeals to the young eye.

As Tulisa is the main artist on the cover, her name is in white which makes it stand out from the rest of the colours on the page.

Black on white background

Example: Male

Background image shows well known rappers who are popular with the male gender.

Black writing contrasts with white background and makes it stand out.

Black and yellow are warning colours which attracts the readers.

General Conventions

Mise En Scene Editing Camera

Bright colours. Lots of makeup and fashion accessories.

Tints and filters to boost colours.Photo shopped artists so they look perfect.

Many close up of artists faces.Long shots of dancing/partying.

RNB magazines

Genre: RNB

There are no magazines that specifically based on RNB music there is always a content of hip hop included in the magazine such as vibe etc.

This shows that there is a gap in the market. Even though having a gap is not good, there is also an advantage, because it could attract more people, because there is more variety.

Research on Vibe

History of Vibe

Vibe was established in 1993 by producer and music mogul Quincy Jones with help from hip hop mogul Russell Simmons.

It was issued monthly, however it shut down on June 30th 2009 due to the recession.

Target Audience

Vibes target audience is people who enjoy hip hop and RnB.

It is aimed at males and females because the colours on the covers are unisex.

The artists on the cover appeals to both genders.

The target audience would be from teenagers upwards, whoever likes this genre of music.

Some people may think it is targeted to black people, but we think it is for any race that enjoys this genre.

Analysis of Vibe front cover

Pink title hidden behind the images to emphasise that the main image is the most important.

Soft colours used, the blue writing stands out the most

Blue and pink writing keeps with the colour scheme.

Black writing to show that it is important.

Main image is of Janet Jackson who is an RNB artist.

Faint background