- Analysis of 'TV Choice' front cover '22 Dec 2007-4 Jan 2008, Issue 52/01'.
The purpose of the front cover of the ‘TV choice’ magazine is to persuade its audience to buy the magazine.
BBC’s ‘Eastenders’ characters, Stacey and Bradley are the dominant image of the front cover. As characters, they are a young married couple who are about to have there first Christmas together, however those of the audience who watch ‘Eastenders’, who are also people who would purchase the magazine, are aware that over the past year Stacey was having an affair with her husbands dad, Max. A typical convention of soaps is a plot involving an affair and as always the affair has to be revealed at one point, which in this case is Christmas. The use of Stacey and Bradley both wearing red connotes the love for each other but also the danger that lays ahead for the young couple. Also by being the young, it also reflects the audience who watch the soap and would buy the magazine being teenagers and young adults. By Stacey holding presents it represents the surprise Bradley will receive at Christmas (Stacey’s affair with Max). Furthermore, presents are one of many iconic images of Christmas. The question ‘A magical Christmas for Stacey and Bradley?’, which is positioned at the bottom of the front cover, is used by the magazine as a persuasive technique for the audience to buy the magazine in order to find out whether Stacey and Bradley will have a Merry Christmas. An active audience would be persuaded and buy the magazine to find out, whereas an active audience would be aware that in terms of soaps and there conventions, that Stacey and Bradley will not have a magical Christmas.
Being a front cover, the magazine uses advertising techniques in order to attract and persuade the audience to buy there product. The front cover uses the price ‘80p’ twice on the front cover. One is positioned at the top of left corner of the magazine, above the masthead ‘TV Choice’. The second is positioned bellow the magazine title and is large and bold with a bright orange star so when the audience look at the cover they cannot miss the price. The repetition of the price ‘80p’ shows how the magazine is putting emphasis on the price and how cheap it is in order to sell it. Both prices have flattering words around them. Words such as ‘only’, which again demonstrates how cheap the magazine is and ‘big value’ illustrates the idea of value for money. A passive audience would be easily persuaded and think they are getting value for money, whereas an active audience would be aware that if you buy ‘The Sun’ newspaper for 20p you will get a TV guide with the newspaper .
The cover has used a Christmas theme. Christmas is a time of happiness and this is portrayed through Stacey and Bradley who are both smiling. The magazine’s front cover uses many Christmas themes and icons to illustrate Christmas. The words ‘Merry Christmas’ are in large, bold, red font across the bottom of the cover. This sends the message to the audience that the ‘TV Choice’ company are wishing the audience a Merry Christmas. Also the use of snow covering the words Merry Christmas and the ‘TV Choice’ title also reinforce this. Other icons such as a Robin (a small songbird) next to the title and a holly connote Christmas. In addition, the bells positioned on the top right corner could illustrate that it’s that time of year again as Christmas is a yearly celebration.
Every year during Christmas time, TV channels broadcast soaps, Christmas films and many ‘family favourites’. ’14 day guide to Christmas TV’, situated at the top of the front cover in large bold yellow font illustrates that there is a lot on TV this Christmas. TV guide magazines usually give the TV listings over the following 7 days, so the magazine emphasises the ’14 day guide’.
The words ‘All your family favourites!’ not only show that Christmas involves love and family, but also the use of the words ‘all your’ and ‘favourites’ demonstrates that shows that are shown yearly are all back on the TV screen. One example of show that could be a traditional Christmas favourite is the Christmas film ‘Scrooge’, which is shown every year, or the famous animation classic ‘The Snowman’, with the boy’s snowman coming to life and the famous song ‘Walking in the air’ song. The use of the world family also illustrates that Christmas is also a time of family and family traditions. The front cover has stars and snowflakes all over the cover to have a Christmas theme and to attract its audience to buy the magazine.
To conclude, the cover has used the main big TV show of Christmas ‘Eastenders’ and the characters Stacey and Bradley to sell the magazine as audiences would be aware of the couple being involved in a big plot. Also using advertising techniques such as lots of bright colours, flattering words and emphasises of ‘80p’ being cheap and good value, the magazine is using to sell the front cover to sell. Finally the magazine also uses icons and images of Christmas as it sold at Christmas time. The Christmas theme represents the current time of the year.
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