Implications

• The masthead is behind the dominant image to highlight Patti Smith

  • Empowers her image as an artist

  • Highlights her serious facial expression, showing that her music career is notable and to be taken seriously

• Masthead is the biggest text on the page

  • Makes the brand more noticable

  • Increases customer’s likelihood to buy the magazine as it is branded (notable/reliable)

• The strapline says ‘A LIFE ON THE FRONT LINE’

  • Could suggest that she is in a vulnerable position as an influential artist and is often criticised

    • This could be that she is an alternative, punk rock artist who was a very influential component of the punk rock movement

    • She was called the ‘punk poet laureate’ - showing her notability

  • Has connotations of the military, being unusual (stereotypically) because she is a woman

    • Presents her in a masculine way and shows that she is an atypical female artist that can be a role model for other alternative women

    • She is not a feminist activist but many women find her empowering as she has made space for women in what was a male-dominated industry

• Patti Smith is portrayed as masculine through elements of mise en scene

  • Composition - she is in the middle of the frame taking up the majority of the page and is sat in a stereotypically masculine way

  • Costume:

    • Colours - green, grey, red, and white - all have connotations of the military and are all masculine colours

    • Masculine style

• The pull quote ‘WE HAVE TO CELEBRATE BEING ALIVE’ gives an insight into what the interview is about

  • Shows what kind of artist Patti Smith is

• High-key lighting

  • Implies openness

  • She is presented with no visual distraction

  • Dramatic

• Many cell lines on the front cover

  • Creates a cluttered effect

  • Shows what is inside the magazine without having to open it

• Other notable artists are mentioned in the cell lines e.g: Simple Minds

  • Usually are the same genre as the artist on the front cover - if you didn’t know who Patti Smith/Simple Minds were then it would give you an insight into what type of artist they are usually

  • Increases likelihood of customers buying the magazine

  • Increases notability of the magazine

• Only sans serif font is used

  • Emphasises Patti Smith’s masculinity

  • Informal

  • Modern

  • Approachable

• Blue background and white/yellow text

  • Makes Patti Smith stand out

  • Masculine colours

• Advertisement of freebies entices the buyer

• No text overlaps Patti Smith except her name and the strapline

  • Shows her dominance

  • Makes her the central focus

Target Audience

MOJO

• Designed to appeal to people ages 30-45

  • Classic rock artists that they grew up with usually featured on the front cover - even today

  • First issue was released in 1993

• Male dominated

This Issue

• Female dominated

  • An atypical female is on the front cover

    • Respected by or inspires other women

• Older women

  • Patti Smith is an artist who was mostly famous in the 1970s

  • Teenagers might not know who Patti Smith is

• Teenage girls

  • If they know who Patti Smith is they may see her as an inspiration too - as she is presented as one

  • They might buy the magazine to read the section on Lana Del Rey who is also mentioned on the front cover

    • Modern artists are rarely seen on MOJO magazines and it is a notable brand so teenage girls may want to buy this issue because of this

• Music fans

  • Notable artists are featured on the front cover

  • Loyal to MOJO magazine

• Resigned audience

  • Attitudes have been built over time and they are loyal to their habits e.g buying MOJO

  • Into classic rock which was mainstream at the time

• Reformer audience

  • Patti Smith is presented alternative and is alternative

  • Usually an older people are fans of her