AS Reseach and Planning: Look Magazine Cover Analysis

LOOK Magazine

'Britains best-selling fashion weekly magazine- audience is women of a range of ages. The masthead (title of the magazine) is in a shocking pink colour. Psychologically, pink is seen as the colour of happiness and is soothing. The effect of the vibrant pink is youthful, fun and exciting and is sensual and passionate with no aggression. The colour is therefoere feminime, relevant to the audience.

The white strapline contrasts with the darkness of the backround so that the words spring out to the reader. The signifier wild is notably in a shocking pink colour, like the masthead. It signifies scandal, as the word wild has connotations to animalistic behaviour. This, therefore, urges the reader to read about this scandal. The signifier OMG! enforces both the strapline and the relevance to the audience of the magazine.

The bit below the strapline is highlighted in pink with a white font. The effect of this is further contrasting for boldness and adding onto the strapline. The signifier secret details attracts attention as readers will believe it's an 'exclusive'.

Along with the shocking pink, there are two other colours the magazine uses. Orange is used as a backround part to a piece of black text. Again, the contrast is effective and stands out. The orange is, like the pink, bright and vibrant and almost neon. Psychologically orange is a controversial colour, which provokes either a 'love it or hate it' association. It also radiates warmth and energy. The other colour used is yellow and is another vibrant and bright colour. Yellow is often assoicated with optimism, enlightenment and happiness. However, both the yellow and orange are less used than the pink.

The main image used on the front cover is of popular music icon Lady Gaga. She is largely relevant to celebrity and fashion culture at the moment, which means people will want to read about her. There is a lack of backround to the actual image, just some blurred lights and darkness. The darkness helps create contrast with the white strapline and to help the person in the image stand out more, as she has platinum blonde hair and a white dress on. The blurry lights may have connotations with the importantance of the person in the image as the lights are above her.

There are three other segments apart from the main image, masthead and strapline which just adds weight to the content. About a quarter of the page at the bottom relates to fashion and has images of run-way models and coats. This maginfies the feminism in the magazine and is contrasted against a white backround for boldness. About a tenth of the page at the top is similair, but has images of shoes and their prices, with mroe information being inside the magazine. The other segmentation is on the right of the main image and contains the heading with the yellow image, with a white strapline. It then has a photo of Cheryl Cole for relevance to the story inside. Notably, the cover only features famous women or models who are all good looking and attractive. This is relevant to the magazine as it is a women's magazine.