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.
