Magazine Cover Review

     Magazines have been around for years. Once read commonly, they now seem to fill the checkout lines, alongside candy and gum, hoping to catch the eye of the modern reader. The covers of magazines seem to be their last hope in getting chosen by young readers.

    Covers of magazines have developed drastically, but still retained some of the redeeming qualities. Many of the magazines still have a "covergirl", a female (or male) celebrity who is the center of the cover and the appeal to the viewer. Cosmopolitan has followed this model for years. In the September edition, new actress Joey King strikes a flirty pose on the front, with big, bold text surrounding her. Her presence on the cover sells Cosmo's brand: they want to empower women and show them how to feel good about themselves, by aspiring to be like Joey King.

    According to Michael Scherer, in his article based on magazines and their relevance today, the new generation of readers is to blame, "readers who allegedly have less time, less attention span, and less interest in anything that is intellectually challenging." This point shows that the content of magazines no longer seems to be the focus. This contributes to the fact that magazine cover designs are even more important, less words is more appealing to the modern audience.

    As Scherer continues on about different appeals to consumers, stating that "The new Rolling Stone seeks to solve that problem in another way, by increasing the number of stories it runs while decreasing their length, a tactic that more closely resembles the Internet than a book." This is shown in their edition about Lil Baby, drawing attention to his pose, as it matches the title "Lil Baby's Uprising", where he is seen sanding above the cameraman on a wall. Bold red draws attention to the iconic red title, with bold fonts and page numbers on the content page to draw readers to their featured stories, some political, showing the "new Rolling Stone" and its cultural influence.

    Another example of this draw to the cover is the swimsuit issue of Sports Illustrated. This magazine is focused on getting the attention of men, by showing scantily-clad women on the cover and detailing information about the models. This issue had fewer words, appealing to the reader. The title almost blended into the background, drawing attention to the women with small text around them instead of the usual bold. The content page followed a similar pattern, showing small text to show the features of the magazine in picture form. The yearly issue brings profit among the readers, targeting young men to purchase the magazine. The models are praised, which makes a statement every year to viewers: we will do the same thing every year, so you stay loyal and keep purchasing our products.

    Focusing on the cover is important, but there are still many aspects of magazine design. In Vogue, Rihanna was the cover page with white and black themes. The content page matched this, as well as her feature article. It was interesting to me to see the development of the themes, showing how Rihanna is bold by her appearance on the cover, to how it translated the same bold theme throughout the issue. Also- the advertisements tie in with the sophisticated themes on the front- showing Gucci, Dior and luxury brands marketed towards Vogue's high-class readers. These themes help build brand loyalty, as the readers feel the need to fit in with the publication by purchasing those items.

    Finally, looking at cover designs, what better to mention than Better Homes and Gardens? This magazine is known for inspiring home décor ideas, so it's no surprise to see the front page featuring furniture and crafting ideas for your home. This magazine had no feature articles, different than the others. It directed us right to the content page, showing what's inside for us to create and make our homes more festive this fall. The neat fonts showed the magazine's audience- older women who want to make their homes aesthetic and trendy.

    Overall, magazines might not be as relevant as they once were, but still pose many different aspects within. From bright, bold covers to small details like loo incorporation, magazines pose many redeeming qualities about their contents. The continual theme throughout the edition is set right away, letting readers know the purpose and what it is about. They say don't judge a book by its cover, but with these magazines, you most certainly can. I feel that I would be intrigued to make a magazine, maybe an environmental magazine, since the rea I live in has many beaches and parks. I think I could craft a magazine that is informative and still eye-catching.