Front cover analysis - Grazia magazine

Visual codes

Colour: - Bright yellow and white stand out on a neutral background, the yellow is a very feminine colour, so it fits in with the target audience, women.

Clothing & Physical appearance: - Image on front is of famous singer Cheryl Cole, looking upbeat and happy despite the coverlines that say otherwise.

Famous icon attract the target audience to the magazine as Cheryl Cole is depicted as someone that “all women can relate too”, making the target audience want to read about her.

Body language & Facial expression: - Warm welcoming smile, open body language to draw people in, however she is hiding behind sunglasses.

Reinforces western idea of beauty because of the way she looks, primped and tanned, thin with nicely done hair etc.

Composition: - Full body shot, focussing on her midsection and face, her face replaces the “Z” in Grazia.

Lighting: - High-key lighting in a very open space, maybe using natural lighting as she is outside, perhaps showing that she herself is a very open and natural person.

Language codes

Connotations of Title: - “Grazia” which is Italian for grace, reinforces that this is a sophisticated European magazine, aimed at sophisticated European women.

The British version often has the “Z” replaced with a celebrities head, making the audience drawn to it more and so that the title doesn’t obscure the main focus away from the image.

Coverline: - The main coverlines don’t actually reinforce what the main image tells us, saying the opposite to what the audience may think about the pictures. This makes the target audience intrigued.

Strapline: - The Strapline reinforces the magazines main image and goal, to be/that it is the best fashion and gossip magazine around.

Type of Language: - Informal, playful and friendly, as if reading what you or one of your friends has written.

Presumes target audience has time to spare to look at the cover thoroughly.

Also presumes that target audience has a taste for fashion, as there is lots of it mentioned within the language use.

Persuasive techniques: - The content, images and taglines combined draw the target audience in and make them want to buy this magazine.