Glamour Magazine - Textual Analysis

This is a November 2012 issue of Glamour magazine, with Taylor Swift being that month's feature. The magazine is aimed at an audience of 18-35. This age group is a very mainstream audience. The cover title is half covered by Swift's head which tells the audience the magazine is very well known, and instantly recognisable without seeing the cover title. Every issue features a well known female celebrity on the front cover who falls into this age category. This can attract not only the repeat customers/subscribers of the magazine, but fans of the famous woman on that month's issue. The woman is normally slim, has heavy make up, is dressed in very classy, fashionable clothing, and always makes direct eye contact with the camera. This makes the magazine more personal and the audience will be more drawn towards it. Swift's facial expression is warm - she has a soft expression which will invite people to buy the magazine. Her pose is theatrical and over the top which is an element of glamour, which obviously links to the magazine name.

The title on each Glamour magazine changes colour to match the theme of the main image. For example, Swift's dress is a hot pink colour, as is her lipstick, so the cover title is the same colour to match. The cover title colour also matches the subtitles of the cover lines around the page. The main colours used for the text are hot pink, white, light blue, and black. Light blue is quite a feminine colour, as is white and black when used with two other feminine colours. The colours are mostly warm which is inviting for the audience. 

The cover lines on the magazine persuade are inviting to it's target audience. Certain words have been bolded to draw more attention to them. For example, "Style" has been enlarged above the smaller lines "The Do's & Don'ts of Fall Fashion" which tells the audience the magazine will explore fall fashion, and what's stylish now. Glamour is a trusted magazine by many women across the world, so they'll be likely to follow advice given by the magazine. Also, Swift's first name "Taylor" has been enlarged in the same hot pink colour as the cover title. Referring to her by her first name makes the audience expect a personal interview inside because the magazine and her are on first name basis. It also makes the reader feel more connected to her because the smaller text underneath reads "Stuff She Only Tells Her Girlfriends". The cover has been intentionally edited to make the audience feel like more of a friend of Swift's, and not just somebody reading her interview. 

These are the main factors of the magazine cover that I have gathered:

• The main image is always a women, and they always fall into the magazine's target audience.
• The woman always makes direct eye contact with the camera.
• The cover title is a colour that matches a colour from the main image, and this same colour is used on some of the cover lines around the page.
• The colours used on the cover title and cover lines are feminine colours.
• The cover lines use enlarged words in a bold colour to persuade more people to buy the magazine.
• The cover is designed to make the audience feel like more of a friend of the celebrity in the main image i.e. first name basis.