Magazine Cover Review

    Both the cover and featured article leave a big initial impression on the reader. Today, many magazine readers get overcome with boredom when reading black text on a white background. That is why ensuring that the cover grabs the attention of the reader and the featured article sounds interesting is key. While the cover may promote the products, the featured article is what actually sells.

    First of all, in order for a reader to actually want to read the magazine, the cover must grab their attention. Without an attracting cover, buyers might not pay attention to what the content inside is about. Say the cover did attract a customer. The next thing the customer would do is look at the featured article. If the featured article sounds intriguing, then the magazine would most likely be purchased. These two factors are key for all magazine companies because they can target a specific audience. Another important factor is to not bore the reader. According to the article “Chances are you won’t bother to read this article. It is just one long block of text, after, unbroken by alluring pictures, snappy captions, or eye-grabbing infographics. You can’t click it. You can’t flip it. All you can do is read it. (Does Size Matter?)”, Maxim’s editor, Keith Blanchard said “... are busier today than they will ever be in their lives; they have shorter attention spans than any previous generation; they are chronically over-stimulated and easily bored”. An example of a magazine that interests readers is Cosmopolitan. Cosmopolitan is a magazine targeting young adult women. There are plenty of pictures of women dressed in a sexy way, this attracts the reader because they too want to look hot. Another example is Sports Illustrated. This magazine targets heterosexual men because all their models were women. The magazine shown was the swimsuit edition, so this attracted the reader because the reader wants to look at the models in bathing suits. 

    Secondly, covers don’t only attract the reader, they also promote products. Sometimes they will promote their own brand, while other times they will promote others. For example, Oprah promotes her own brand. Oprah magazine shows a big O in the top left corner, and that O is her own logo. Also, on the magazine cover, it shows Oprah having a fun time. This is promoting what she is selling, and she is selling joy. Another example is the GQ magazine, except this magazine promotes other brands. On the cover of the GQ magazine, there was a man wearing Calvin Kleins. When the reader sees the man on the cover pulling off Calvin Kleins, the reader now believes they can too. 

    Finally, the cover may attract readers, but the featured article is what the magazine is selling. For example, the magazine Condé Nast Traveler is selling vacations. They are trying to sell the reader a location to vacation at. When a magazine is trying to sell a place or thing, it is important to include lots of pictures. The article “Chances are you won’t bother to read this article. It is just one long block of text, after, unbroken by alluring pictures, snappy captions, or eye-grabbing infographics. You can’t click it. You can’t flip it. All you can do is read it. (Does Size Matter?)” states that Roger Black, the chairman of Danilo Black, said “They have reduced the amount of text and increased the pictures boxes, and captions”. A magazine is not going to sell anything if there is only text. 

    In conclusion, the cover and the featured article are necessary in order for a magazine to interest an audience. Without the cover, readers might not even bother to look at what is inside, and the brand might not sell as much. Without a featured article, readers might lose interest in the magazine and cancel their subscription. I would also like to share that I am still leaning more towards a film as my final project. I still think that it will be more fun than creating a magazine.