Analysis of two media magazines

Analysis of two media magazines 

KICK! Magazine

I found two magazines, "Mega Stars" and  "Stars of Europe", both of them from "KICK!"

Basically, for both front covers, there's a lot of action, and a lot of different messaging. The centerpiece is a photo collection of different superstars, as if they are in the same picture. The key pieces inside the magazine are presented (win; posters, free portraits, wicked prizes etc.) The layout is not sharp and elegant. In stead, there's a lot of action, youthfulness, splash, signals, pictures, colors. Several types of typography are used. In a sense it looks disorganized, but it is probably on purpose. It offers a lot of different entry points, and the reader will have to spend some time understanding all the messages. The "!" mark is used all over. This mark is also used in the title (KICK!). The language is informal for the year group and very direct. The two front covers look very much the same.

The headline is informal, playful, and bold. The title KICK! Says it all. Kick is what you do when you play football and is therefore and very specific title for football interested. The colors are blue background and red typography, the blue changing on each front cover. It is a type of handwritten typography, not very regular.

The main image is a collection of stars. They are presented happy and successful: Some of them are arranged so that they look directly into the camera, others seem to be in a situation from a match. You definitely get the feeling that inside a whole lot of stories about the stars are to be found.

The sell lines are really aggressive. Win this, prizes that, 10 posters (each time), puzzles, comics, gossip etc. and that is very important, because people are getting interested and really want to buy the magazine.   

The brand identity seems to be very controlled. Even though the two covers are different issues and even though the colors and the pictures and the sell lines differ, the two covers really look the same just by looking at the front cover. It seems as if the cover design follows the same recipe every time.

The colors are clear and bold, like the colors of clubs and jerseys. The fonts are bold (so it makes it more attractive for kids), different and stand out. They are basically not elegant and they are not subtle. They scream and are in your face. It's not pretty, but probably it's very effective.

Overall I think the cover is in line with the expectations of the target audience. It's not "The Economist" inside, and the readers don't expect it to be. They want entertainment gossip and a little bit of dreaming. Dreaming to come closer to the superstars, or at least to win something that has to do with football.