Front cover analysis

Top of the Pops masthead is lower case, which appeals to the young target audience as it is simple, easy and it could also apply to the way they write in school. The masthead is positioned in the same place every issue with the same style and font this creates brand identity which the target audience will be able to recognise the magazine. Therefore, it is easy for them to find the magazine. The only thing that changes every issue is the masthead colour, but the style and font remains the same. The colour, which the masthead uses in this particular issue, is hot pink with a glow of white behind the masthead. The use of pink reflects the target audiences as a girly person, and the white glow reflects that the target audience is calm and innocent personality. The masthead is written in a bubble font which reflects the target audience as youthful, fun and bubbly personality. The masthead is written in bold which makes it stand out to the target audience and when they see the magazine each issue they will recognise it straight away. The name of the magazine ‘Top of the Pops,’ tells the target audience what genre of music is presented in the magazine. ‘Top of the Pops’ is also a BBC programme which all the successful and top artist are presented this suggest that the magazine also contains the top pop artists.

The main image of this issue of ‘Top of the Pops’ is a medium shot of Cheryl Cole. She is very popular artist to the target audience and is presented in ‘Top of the Pops’ regularly. She is a role model to the target audience as she’s beautiful, successful and talented. Cheryl Cole is also judge on ‘The X-Factor,’ which is one of the target audiences’ favourite programme. She has an amazing personality, down to earth and is known as the nations sweetheart. This appeals to the target audience as they want to achieve this and they will look-up to her as she came from a working-class background, lived up to her dreams and changed her life around and now she is successful. Cheryl is smiling and she is looking directly at the camera, which suggests that she is smiling at the readership which makes the target audience want to read the magazine, as they feel that she is directly talking to them, acting as a friend. Cheryl Cole's head is slightly in front of the masthead this suggests her power and it also suggests that even if its placed in front of the masthead the target audience will still recognise the magazine.


The brand identity that Top of the Pops follow is by maintaing the layout of the front cover by keeping the masthead in the same position and font, but each issue the colour changes into feminine and girly colours which reflects the target audience. Some of the colours which they use are: yellow, pink, blue, purple