Product Analysis: NME Magazine

                                                                     Cover:

One of the most striking elements of this front cover is the colour – there is a very strong contrast between the black background, white text and multicoloured image, which immediately catches the reader’s eye and would draw them to this magazine over any other. The colours used are primary, but slightly faded, giving a slightly aged, vintage feel which links perfectly to the contents of the article about classic artist David Bowie. The image itself is positioned centrally so the eye is drawn to it, and is intriguing in that the face pictured is not looking into the camera, but is positioned on an angle and looking upwards at something the reader cannot see. This creates a sense of mystery which compliment’s Bowie’s eccentric style and would encourage people to read the contents of the article. 

Aside from the bright white colour, the text is also clever in its font – both an elegant, fancy script and a bold capital font are used which contrast and compliment each other while adding variety to the cover so it is not dull to look at. The masthead is written in this plain, bold type which makes it stand out, while words such as “Ultimate Hero” are written in a more complex font which emphasises the boldness of the statement and the prestige they are implying the artist has. The use of this phrase, followed by a list of people whom he has influenced backs up the statement and accentuates his position as a true musical legend. On the other side of the page, which is almost exactly divided into three, another column of text gives details of the other content in the magazine, and includes quotes to evoke curiosity and encourage people to buy it. The use of the “+” sign and opposed to the word plus is also a demonstration of the magazine’s ethos of innovation and being unique.

                                                                    

Contents Page:

The vintage theme evident on the cover is also present on the contents page of NME, with the font used for the title being relatively old fashioned and in black. This stands out at the top of the page and is positioned centrally to draw the eye to it. The page is image-dominated and the layout is quite scattered, giving it a busy feel which gives the impression that the magazine is packed with good content which will make the reader feel as though it is worth their money. It also appears quite chaotic, as if to suggest that music should not be neatly organised and is more about passion – in addition to this,  it is quite angular with the sections separated by straight lines at right angles, suggesting an edgy attitude and that the magazine is daring and unique. Again, a variety of fonts are used, which makes the page appear varied and interesting to look at as well as packed with information. The heading for each article summary is a quote from the artist themselves, and this will draw a reader in – for example “Just me and an acoustic guitar… that scares me” is a statement that could mean many things and people are more likely to turn and read the article to discover more. As in many magazines, the page number for each feature is attached to its associated image for easy navigation throughout the magazine.

                                                                     

                                                                                     Double Page Spread:

Similarly to the cover, the double page feature on Bowie uses an incredibly bold statement for its headline, to accentuate the grandeur of the artist in question. Using such a bold font in striking red block capitals also contributes to this, along with a confident stand-first opening with “He’s the most influential artist of all time”. The use of the lightening bolt in the same colour has a tongue-in-cheek feel as it is universally associated with Bowie and will appeal to true music fans. This carries through to the language and style of the article itself: it makes references to events in modern music (for example Lady GaGa’s infamous meat dress) which only music fans would understand, and the tone of the text of a whole is sarcastic and at times slightly cynical in the way it makes its point. The text itself is arranged in two blunt columns which are easy to read and give the spread a professional appearance. The headline slightly overlaps onto both pages, and acts as the link between the two which have very different content. The left hand page is taken up entirely by a close-up shot of the artist’s face, as he looks dead into the camera with an almost emotionless expression. This gives the piece a very intimate feel and gives the idea that we will get a true depiction of David Bowie behind all of the smoke and mirrors, and the huge, almost sinister picture also serves to highlight his power as a musician and the influence he has.