1     Analyse the front covers for both GQ and Saga magazines commenting on:

·         Visual codes

·         Layout & design

·         Language and mode of address

GQ Magazine

In this cover of the magazine Clint Eastwood is presented as the older tough guy. The choice of clothing is a typical look of his from the films he stars in, the double denim look with the rolled up sleeves suggests he’s ready for a fight or eager to get to work on something.  The caption “bad ass of the year” is reinforced by his body language and facial expression. Eastwood is leaning towards to the camera with his arms open resting on his legs, and the stern look making eye contact with the camera confirms he is the most dominant object on the cover, and he prominent veins in his arms connote masculinity and strength. This shatters the idea that older people are frail and weak, here we have an example of just the opposite. The limited amount of text about Clint Eastwood on the cover suggests the image and short caption speaks for itself, and as he is well known the audience would know what to expect inside.

The target audience for this particular cover would be men aged 30 to 50, Eastwood is seen as a role model and the audience will want to ‘look sharp’ and ‘live smart’ like him. If we were to apply the 4C’s model, this text would appeal to the Succeeder as Eastwood represents the idea of power and success. The audience would be expected to take the preferred reading that Clint Eastwood is the ‘badass of the year’.

The encoders of the magazine have used the light blue background to reinforce the ‘cool’ look about him. The colour code of this front page makes Eastwood centre and bold, the dark blue contrasts with the light background. He is the most prominent object in the photo, this is reinforced by how the name of the magazine which is meant to be the most valued information on the cover, is slightly hidden by Eastwood’s head.

Saga Magazine

In this cover of the magazine Michael Caine is represented as the typical old aged pensioner. He says ‘but I can’t remember old people being terrified to go out’ referring to himself, this represents the stereotypical view of the elderly. This quote could also be aiming towards young people, that they are the ones causing the crime.

We can see in the long shot of Michael Caine that his body language appears to be relaxed but leaning backwards, this could suggest how he prefers to stay away from danger, whereas in GQ Magazine Clint Eastwood is leaning towards the camera ready to fight. The long shot captures the whole of his body and in comparison to the whole page he looks quite small, and the maroon stamp is slightly covering him making him look ever more submissive. He seems disappointed that his childhood street has changed which is reinforced by his facial expression. This represents the ideology that the elderly always talk about their past and don’t like change.

The layout of the magazine is overall a tad plain. The block dull colours on the light background reinforce this; the whole page is very traditional which represents how elderly people think.

2.       (a) Study the front cover of GQ magazine. Suggest two different audiences for this magazine.

If we were to profile the audience for GQ magazine, the age of the person would be from the age of 30 to 50. The reason for this would be the person starring on the front cover. Clint Eastwood is a well known actor by many age groups; therefore the audience who have watched his films over the years will want to know how he became the ‘badass of the year’.

If we were to apply Young & Rubicam’s 4C’s model to GQ magazine it would appeal to the Aspirer. The Aspirer’s core need in life is for status, they are driven by other people’s perceptions on them. The Aspirer would want to know how to be like Clint Eastwood, ‘Badass of the year’.  The use of language ‘the best sutff’ will also intrigue the Aspirer as they want the best of everything.

(b)Study the front cover for Saga magazine aimed at people over 50. Explore how this audience is targeted.

The over 50’s audience can personally identify with this magazine, as it covers stories relevant to them. Michael Caine’s experience of visiting the streets of his childhood and finding out the times have changed is what many elderly people go though; they want to bring up the past but instead are faced with the new crime filled streets. This magazine also covers ‘ageism and the BBC’. This targets only a certain group of people which will interest them; the elderly will want to know how ‘Emma Soames takes on the top brass’.  At the bottom of the cover it has a plus section, this tells the reader what to expect inside. Gardening and cooking are all stereotypical hobbies of the elderly which will intrigue the reader.