Real artefact 1 - NME Front Cover

NME is a music magazine that has been published weekly since March 1952. NME stands for ‘New musical express.’ The name is important to a reader as it is the first feature of the magazine they will notice and may be the feature that deciphers whether they buy the magazine or not. In this case the fact that it makes it clear what the name is, is important as it uses the words 'new' and 'express' and this will appeal to customers as they will want the latest news and it gives the customer the impression that'll come quickly by using the word express. However I believe the acronym of NME is more effective as it is short and stands out. It also reminds us of the word ‘enemy,’ which could be a connotation of the stereotypical audience of rock music which is the market the magazine aims at. This is because listeners of rock music are portrayed as being quite angry as their music is heavy and loud. This reminds us of ‘enemies’ as it is not a soft word. Again, the black bold writing also could be a connotation of ‘enemy’ as it is dark and harsh looking.

Throughout the magazine there is a red and black colour scheme. The connotations of this colour also match the connotations of the title. This is important as it allows the reader to remember all the way through the magazine what magazine they are reading. And if they remember it they are more likely to buy it in the future as they will associate the colours with the brand name, and brand loyalty is an important factor of marketing a magazine.

The general layout of the magazine is very clear. With the title in bold in the left hand corner it can draw the attention to the market and also existing NME purchasers will be able to spot it straight away. Also the subtitles are very clear in bold fonts and with white writing on a red background meaning the contrast in colours, results in it standing out but also still sticking to the colour scheme. It has the main story down the left hand side in bold and then other featuring stories down the right hand side in small fonts, but still big enough that they stand out. The subtitles are all wrapped around the text, this means the text is easy to read.

The main image on the magazine is a picture of male artist Glasvegas. He is pictured topless with writing on his chest. He is stood against a background with red lighting. The red lighting allows the imagine to fit in with the colour scheme of the magazine. It also has connotations of evil, as red is associated with this. The idea of writing on a chest or over your body also has connotations of the devil. This evilness that is portrayed is closely linked with rock as rock artists are seen as deep and even frightening. The cover also features other pictures of artists. This allows the intended reader to see images of who they are going to be reading about therefore will grab their attention.

The cover lines use very emotive language for example 'war' and 'bulletproof' and 'R.I.P.' All these terms are very violent. Again, violence being a connotation of rock music. The titles are all very to the point. For example, 'NME AWARDS NOMINATIONS REVEALED.'This is put in bold writing probably to highlight the fact that it is 'revealed' and will appeal to the audience as it is seen as exclusive.