Magazine Analysis - Mojo

Mojo Magazine Analysis

The only other image to appear on the front cover is a small image to the top right hand corner of the page, the subjects of which are 'The Who', this links to an article within the magazine that focuses on 'The Who'. Additionally the use of this image attracts the readers as well as the bold statement across the top of the page which reads 'The Who Mod Explosion'.
Content promoted by the cover lines includes the articles related to artists such as; 'Jack Bruce', 'John Coltraine' and 'Johnny Marr'. By featuring the names of a wide variety of artists, the magazine aims to reach out to and interest all those who are fans of these artists, therefore effectively casting out a large net to maximise the number of copies sold. As well as the various artists, there is a graphic to the bottom right of the page creating a link to an article within the magazone reviewing the '50 best albums of the year'.

Mojo magazine was initially produced by EMAP (Emap International Limited), however as of 2008 Mojo has been published on a monthly basis by Bauer Media Group. Each issue costs £4.80 and features an average of 130-140 pages per issue.
Mojo aims to target those that are fans of all genres of music and their target audience has a median age of 23. The Bauer Mojo media pack states that it is 'A carefully crafted musical archive covering the very best of music across genres. From classic and modern rock, folk, soul, country to reggae, electronic and experimental.'.
As of June 2013 Mojo had a circulation of 73,345 but a readership of close to 200,000. This is much higher than the circulation of Q magazine which stands at around 52,781.

The title of the magazine is Mojo which doesnt particularly link to any one genre of music from the moment you first read it, this lack of a link to any one genre allows the magazine to stand out as potential buyers will want to find out what the magazine showcases. The title is effective at producing the idea of a varied mix of music within the magazine but from the offset the title does not have any immediate connotations.
The use of a 3d effect on the masthead allows it to stand out as the identity of the magazine and distance itself from the cover photo which can overlap the masthead without drawing away or reducing its impact. The use of black text on a white background further distinguishes the masthead from the rest of the magazines cover.
There is a strapline on the cover that is masked by the cover model that states 'The Music Magazine', this is a very self-centered strapline that gives off the idea that this magazine is the official magazine for all music and the only music magazine you will ever need to read. This strong strapline draws the attention of potential buyers and sets the magazine apart from others without such a bold statement on each issue.
The main image is a long shot of U2, making sure every part of the band members is visible, in order to show off the clothes they wear which consists of leather jackets, jeans and boots. The clothes they wear links heavily to the attitude they attempt to portray and this is also reflected in the quote used to cover them which is 'Apologise? For What?', making evident a rebellious attitude and lack of care. This idea is also seen in their poses which are quite bold and defiant without expressing any emotion. Here we can see an attempt to reach out to rock fans as the magazine features U2 as the cover models and they are dressed in typical rock clothing.

Double Page Spread

The double page spread article in this edition of Mojo is a lot longer than conventional articles, this has happened due to the article being highly detailed and focusing not only on U2 as a whole, but the individual band members.

The use of pull quotes throughout is a literary and design technique to grab readers attention as it is generally a unique quote that readers will want to find out about by going over the whole article. This is also beneficial to drawing in potential customers who may be skim reading through the magazine and happen to notice a particularly engaging pull quote.

The article opens with a statement picture of the members of U2 together, with Bono at the front being the lead vocalist. The serious expression on the band members faces indicate that the article is serious, whilst their posture give hints to their personality, for example, Bono stands with his chest forward and thumbs in his pockets, this image

him as a confident person.

A house style is set up for the double page spreads as the colour scheme is kept consistent throughout and the layout of the pages does not change. Across the top half of each page is a picture or series of pictures that relates to the band or specific artist (shown with a close up on either the left or the right side of the page).

The page design is kept simple to avoid the feeling of the pages being overcrowded with text and allow readers to easily follow the article from beginning to end.

As you can see, over the course of the double page spreads, a vast number of images have been used to balance out against the lengthy article, this is done to keep the readers both engaged and as a feature that relates to specific points within the article.