Analysis of two contents pages

Here are my chosen contents pages from two magazines with very different target audiences; the first one is from ‘Kerrang!’ and the second from ‘Q’ magazine. Kerrang is a rock music magazine aimed towards an audience of aspirers aged between 16 and 25 interested in bands such as Avenged sevenfold and slipknot. Whereas Q magazine is aimed towards the mature music lovers of an earlier generation aged 30+. With a price of £3.90 it’s obviously out to attract the middle class citizens. Q includes a wide review section on television, films and the latest games which you wouldn’t necessarily find in a typical issue of Kerrang.

 You can see many similarities and difference between these two pages first most dominant is the layout is particularly similar. Both have a vertical ‘features list’ of what you can find in this issue of magazine. Q magazines attempt is more sophisticated using red, white and black as their main colours. Simple headings and boxed pictures is a neat and tidy way to represent a magazine to attract elders. Reading the subheadings down the column on the left you can see ‘My brilliant career’ this is a key feature which tells us a lot about who this magazine is aimed at and what they want to read about. Kerrang readers aren’t all old enough to have a full time career and read this magazine in their own time when they relax and forget about work. The articles in both magazines are very different; you can read about stars such as ‘Liam Gallahager’ and ‘Paul Heaton’.

Comparing the circled image on Kerrang!’s page with the main image of its rivals, you can see a distinct difference in body language. The cluster of boys on the left are huddled closely together pulling faces and hand gestures, their clothes are casual and dark this suggests rebellious attitude and free will. The group of men (the Courteeners) advertising in the main long shot image of Q magazine are stood in a strong poise. Their clothes are casual (jeans and tee) but fresh. They all look clean cut and well dressed. They are stood outside somewhere which looks like country/highland this creates a relaxed atmosphere helps the reader to get lost in this magazine.

It’s interesting to see a formal approach from Kerrang! Rather than Q. Looking in the top left corner you can see a little box of text signed from the author. I’m very surprised to find this in Kerrang! rather than Q, but maybe Q has an extra page to this contents. There are 9 images spread between both magazines 7 on Kerrang!’s page and only 2 on Q’s . This supports the ideas about a more formal magazine going with a more minimalistic approach.