LIIAR Analysis of Vibe

The title of this magazine has a short, outstanding banner headline spreading across the full page and positioned behind the subject in the main image – however the masthead is still legible and overriding.

The layout includes the title, a heading, other articles which are featured in the magazine, a barcode, bands which are included with in the magazine down the right-hand side of the page, and the price and edition – this is emphasised by the use of hyperbolic language which covers a part of the title and highlighted in yellow which is not part of the colour scheme “MEGA MUSIC issue”.

The main image is amid-shot to show the subject’s position, attire and expression. He is making eye contact with the audience but with a sullen expression. We can see from the main article that the subject is Chris Brown who is an R&B singer. It is clear what music he is involved with through his arrogant image and the way he is dressed in a red t-shirt, dark jeans, slanted hat, and jewellery such as the chains around his neck and wrist and his watch which is stereotypical for an R&B star to show off. This brand image promotes this particular perception of R&B/Hip Hop artists amongst the public and connotes that they are rich and tough. The colour scheme consists of 3 colours: white, green and small use of red which are outstanding on a dark background. This text uses anchorage by presenting a famous singer on the cover who the target market will be interested in considering this is the type of music they listen to. It is relevant to the magazine’s genre and the main article highlighted “Is That Chris Brown?” – this is separated into 2 lines which make it look shorter and the reader can simply glance at it without reading a line across a page which is less interesting. This is a rhetorical question which intrigues the reader. The magazine's target demographic is predominantly young, urban followers of hip-hop culture. The exclusive interview is hinted by the quotation from the singer. The institution (InterMedia Partners) predominantly features R&B and hip-hop music artists, actors and other entertainers in their publications. The magazine is issued quarterly with a large online presence, aided by the Vibe LifeStyle Network.

The cover has a conventional large font title followed by a smaller font size in bold in most of their magazines which is familiar and easy to read. The skyline on the page tells the reader what else is included in the magazine. The dark background he is stood in front of has elements of graffiti which reflect the stereotype of the people who listen to this genre of music. The centre of the image is lit up more than the top and bottom of the image to make his face and posture more prominent and obvious. The clarity of the colour scheme, the fonts, Chris Brown’s clothes, and the use of the skyline technique could act as a connotation to show the magazine is original and exciting. These colours could appeal to both male and female readers but considering the layout and style, it would appeal to more of a male audience. The date of publish is shown with barcode and price in this masthead in an obvious way under the article headings which fits perfectly and adds to the dynamic layout – it inform readers that this is an up-to-date copy of the magazine.