Brand context

 

Hearst Magazines

A leading publisher of premium print and digital brands, including Elle, Cosmopolitan and Harper's Bazaar, which was founded in 1910. It has a focus on delivering high-quality lifestyle, fashion and health content to customers.

Contemporary context

 

These magazines are ranked by influence, which shows how Hearst Magazines own multiple popular magazines like Cosmopolitan, Elle, Vanity Fair and Harper's Bazaar.

Industrial context

History of magazines:

1731 - The Gentleman's Magazine was published, it was considered to be the first general-interest magazine

Early 19th Century - The Industrial Revolution changed magazine production, there were new innovations like printing presses and improved transport, which helped reduce printing costs and increase circulation

1830s - Rise of illustrated magazines like The Penny Magazine

1840s - Magazines became more central to public culture, there were improved literacy rates

Early 20th Century - Revenue began to come from advertising sales, consumer brands began using magazines to reach larger audiences, there were more fashion and lifestyle magazines

1920s - Magazines became more powerful

1950s - Rise in television, advertisers started focusing on broadcast media over print

1980s - Magazines expanded internationally, large focus on the Cold War

2000s - Digital magazines, news and blogs were more popular than print, publishers started to launch websites and subscriptions to become more digitally convergent

2010s - Decline in print circulation

2020s - Websites have introduced paywalls, memberships and newsletters, some print magazines like Vogue still have a large audience

Finance and distribution:

- Newspapers sell front pages and sections for advertisements, subscriptions and cover price allows for publishers to cover some costs

- They can be distributed online, in wholesalers and retail shops and can be directly sent to consumers if they pay for subscriptions

Initial research

 

Media NEA brief - Initial thoughts

 

Initial Ideas:

I will be doing the magazine and online and here are some of my initial ideas :

1) A health magazine cover that has a focus around sports and fitness, the front cover will have a female model who is wearing activewear. This would appeal to young people who are interested in exercise and improving their physical performance.

       Tagline ideas : Build strength that lasts, Built for real strength, Train smarter, not harder

                                                                            

2) A health magazine cover that has a focus around mental and physical health, it would mention how to maintain healthy habits and a balanced lifestyle. The front cover would have a model who looks calm and relaxed to represent balance and wellbeing. 

                     Tagline ideas : Feel better, not busier, Your everyday reset, Health that fits your life, Reset your routine

The magazine will have a primarily 16-25 year old middle and up market audience, so the design and content will be visually appealing and relevant to young adults who are interested in health, fitness and well-being. It will be mainly targeted towards women as I want to represent them as active and confident to make others feel empowered.

Pose ideas: 

Cover inspiration:

   

Music video theorists

Richard Dyer's Star theory

- Making a celebrity into a product that can sell to the audience to make money and following other's decisions even if you don't agree, to fit in

- Someone's character being perceived through the way that they act     

 What makes you beautiful - One Direction

Andrew Goodwin's Music video theory

- Believes that videos should demonstrate genre characteristics, a connection between the lyrics and video and music and video, star representation and intertextual references

                                                    Do I wanna know? - Arctic Monkeys

Infographic

 

Big Issue cover

 

Beauty advert

For my advert, I have edited a CeraVe moisturiser onto a white podium to create a sense of luxury, it acts as a denotation as it is positioning the product as something 'above' other skincare products. I have created a high-key lighting effect, making my product the main focus of the image. My text 'The least you can do - for your face' engages the audience directly and also is placed above the product to guide the viewer's eye downwards. 

This advert is effective because it makes the product look important but easy to use, linking to how younger people like a quick and easy skincare routine. I have used a clean and simple design and a direct message to make it convincing.

SHSG advert

I have learnt how to use the DSLR cameras to take high-quality photos and I have experimented with using different zoom settings. I have also developed skills in Photoshop, including adding coloured font and background and using drop shadow on some of my images. The advert is based around representing the school's sixth form.