Colour:

The colour scheme used throughout is

predominantly black, white, grey, red, and green-
monochromatic, with touches of primary colours. This
instantly communicates a classic feeling, with retro
influences. The monochrome colour palette connotes a
definitive, time-honoured rock and roll tradition. It is
effortlessly cool, and relates directly to a classic rock
audience. Including the touches of red and green
throughout seems to stylise this colour scheme, and is
minimal, but just bold enough to break up the black and
white, and grab the eye, and lead it to the pieces of key
information on the cover.

Institution and Distribution: Mojo is a highly respected

brand, with many people of influence having spoken well
of it, and its attitude and approach to music. It really is a
brand for those who are serious about music, and focus on
the quality of the music they listen to over the popularity.
Mojo is published by Bauer Media, who are notorious for
also publishing Q magazine, and Kerrang!. These are other
magazines that prioritise genre and quality over
popularity, and this is the brand identity Bauers print
media adopts.
Layout: The layout of this front cover has aspects of the
conventional, and other aspects that are not. The
coverlines, for example, are placed on both the left hand
third, and the right hand third, defying convention
(coverlines are typically on the left only). This does make
for an ordered looking cover, and it means a vast majority
of information is placed in the top two thirds of the cover,
this is quite clearly so as to keep the bottom left corner as
space the CD gift can occupy. There are two buzz boxes on
the page, one is placed in the top left corner, over the
banner, to be seen from the newsagents shelves, that
advertises the free gift you can receive with purchase. The
other shows off the 147 reviews available within, these
are two exclusives, and unique selling points of the
magazine, and so are placed appropriately in their buzz
boxes. The secondary images on the cover are also
positioned to be seen from the shelves, and due to this,
overlay the masthead. This has connotations of a brand
that is so recognizable, its logo can be covered, and it can
be identified regardless. There is no pull quote, as the
cover photo does not link to an interview, this is not
conventional.

Free Gift: The free gift available with this issue is a CD, as
conventional with Mojo magazine. The idea of this in itself
is a branding tool, aimed at the older audience- a younger
audience are less likely to see the appeal in a CD, as most
of their music access is via streaming platforms, or
downloads. This CD directly relates to the artist in the main
image, as it is his music, and this is where the link between
the cover and the contents is formed, not by interview, but
by the CD gift. Whilst this is free it could potentially be
the cause of the high price point; this magazine cost over
5, which does immediately suggest an affluent audience:
AB, possibly crossing over to C1.
Images: All of the images used on the cover are archived
images, from the periods of time that the artists were
popular, largely, the 1980s. The use of these old images
gives the magazine a nostalgic vibe, which will immediately
attract an audience of 35-44 year olds, and possibly those
older than that, as a throwback to the musical time period
they remember best. The main image on the cover is in
black and white, which really extends this vintage aesthetic
that the cover is aiming for. The artist on the cover does
not have direct address, and he appears instead to be
looking to the sky, it is a vaguely dreamer like expression,
he seems to be lost in thought, in some sense, this directly
links to the nostalgia that is being communicated through
the age of the images on the cover, as Reed could be
perceived to be reminiscing. There is a clear theme that
has been set up around this retro, timeless feeling that
Mojo are relating to their audience, through presenting
the cover artists as they were in their prime, as the
audience remember them, and to place the images as they
have will really draw this audience in.

Font: The font used is sans serif throughout, and capitalized. It looks
rigid, and sturdy. It is a very masculine font, and the cover has a
very masculine feel because of this. It also helps to clearly
distinguish that the audience is older; the spacing, and ease of
reading help communicate this. There are no accents on any of the
characters, signifying a serious standpoint- there are no fancy, or
decorative elements that distract the eye. Its a very no frills take to
rock and roll, and this really translates through the whole cover,
and through Mojo magazine in general. Mojo doesnt care for
decoration and additions; it prioritises what is there, and what is
essential. The main coverline is in a different font to the rest of the
text on the cover, still sans serif, but bordered with red for
readability,

Overall Impression: Overall, this magazine cover is

appropriate for the audience of 35-44 year old, AB males,
with a passion for music, in the form of classic rock, and
rock and roll. Mojo is clearly a well-respected brand, by
both audience and artists alike. The colour scheme is bold,
and bright, but still minimal and classic, and fitting for the
audience. The paper quality is thick, and matte, and feels
expensive, and the addition of a free CD really justifies the
high price point of Mojo magazine. The coverlines have
been placed in such a way that makes use of space
effectively, and present information coherently.

Colour: There is little that

resembles a colour scheme on
these pages, as the colour palettes
of the images used do not link to
one another, and the text used is
not in similar colours to the images
at all. There is no running colour
palette, and very little colour has
been taken from the front cover of
the magazine, red is seen on both,
but this isnt really enough to form
a congruency between the two. The
messages of effortless style, and a
classic, balanced look seem to be
lost within the contents pages, and
the lack of a similar colour scheme
or palette is a big part of this. It
could be that the brand feels that it
does not need to be established any
further that this is Mojo, and that
the readers care for content over
colour, but certainly, more could be
done.
Images: Some images on the
second half of the contents page
are of album covers of artists within
the genre, advertising reviews
within, or at least they seem to be,
it is not clear. The other images are
of live performances, to display an
even balance of album covers and
performance shots explains the
contents of the magazine, and
when displayed against the image
on the overlay of The Byrds, all
features: interviews, album reviews,
and live performance reviews, are
enlisted on these pages in image
based form. The only other images
present tie in with the flannel
panels at the bottom of the page,
and are of the editors and
contributors of this months issue
of Mojo, clearly it is a priority to
visually credit these people.

Flannel Panel: There are three flannel panels at the bottom of

the second half of the contents page, they are used to fill extra
space. The top part of this contents page is very busy and full, if
it had been spaced out further, it may have been made simpler
to read and navigate, or more images would have made for a
more visual contents, and there would be no need for text
boxes talking about the magazines editors.

Continuity: there is very little continuity between the two pages, or between these
pages and the contents page. The colour scheme is not the same, although red has been
brought through, the monochrome elements, and the green are gone entirely. The sans
serif font from the cover has been abandoned, with a serif font in its place for both
header and body text. The main image is the only element here that is consistent with
that which is on the cover, as the lead singer of The Byrds is seen on both. The layout
does not mirror the cover layout in anyway.

Layout: The first page of the
contents page is placed on a
separate double page to the
second page, this is a non-
conventional choice for a
magazine- usually the full
contents page is shown together
for ease of reading. Both pages
are adjacent to full-page ads,
which could really have been
avoided to help readers find the
pages they were looking for. The
layouts of the actual pages are
quite busy and full, with a lot of
information being conveyed in
quite small spaces. There is little
consistency throughout- on one
page, the articles are listed on
the left, mirroring the cover, and
on the second page they are
listed down the right, this may
be because there is a disconnect
between the pages, as they are
not a double page spread. The
right hand pages text is split into
sections of regulars, news, and
Mojo exclusives, this is most
likely as standard in Mojo.

Folios: The folios used are, for the most part, written in text, in a bolder, larger, form
than the body text, forming a sort of header. They are also in an alternate colour to
the surrounding text, to help distinguish them as key information, and to highlight
which folio links to which article. The captions of the images on the right hand page
are also folios in some cases, as a brief statement explains which of the images
relates to which story, and on what page, but this could be explained in a more
visual way, to increase readability, and strengthen aesthetic. The folios are however
listed chronologically by section, which is both conventional, and ordered.

Overall Impression: Overall, it was not a favourable decision, for

the audience, to have separated the contents pages in this way, it
makes the whole contents less accessible to the audience, and it
would have made far more logical sense to display the two
together. They do not display a huge amount of continuity, and in
some places, could be from a different magazine than what is
shown on the cover. I feel that attention to detail is what is
missing.

Images The image on the left page is carried over to the second page, which positions the other
images off centered, and leaves them occupying the majority of the space on the pages. They
are all archived images of The Cure, from old photo shoots, live performances, and studio
sessions, the age of the photos, combined with the obscurity of the settings they have been
taken in, give them a really exclusive, unseen feel, even though this is not said, because that
isnt the style of Mojo, as a serious music magazine, these images are more likely shown to
represent the depth at which Mojo are exploring, to really get an insiders perspective, and
translate this feeling over to the audience- a priority for those who are always wanting to learn
more about the processes and journeys of their favourite artists- the Mojo reader.

Content Style: This double page spread features

a sort of non-standard interview, yet there is no
question and answer style, and in actuality it is
an excerpt from a separate piece of writing, but
it does give a personal look into the drummers
account of events, acting as a sort of interview
for the reader, it relays a detail that cannot be
challenged, and links to the stated idea of Mojo:
eye-witness

Layout: The most part of the double

page spread is the images used. To focus
these images connotes a priority:
another nostalgic look back to the days
that The Cure originated from. The title
is placed, rather ineffectually, in the
bottom right corner, which is not really
a code of a music magazine- usually
titles are located at the top of a page. All
of the body text is at the very far right of
the page, and in only one column. This is
not a typical format that helps
readability, and this does make the
block of text less engaging for the
reader, particularly for an older
audience that would prefer increased
readability, and are used to newspaper
formatting, which utilises columns.
There are several icons and boxes used
throughout the page that state short,
key pieces of information, one reminds
the reader to turn over for more on this
story, another separates this first
section from a clear second section that
will follow, this is an effective way to
help navigate the pages.
Pull Quote: The pull quote: someone said theres a big
fight, its Simon and Robert. is a provocative one, in that it
is not to be expected from Mojo, and as such will grip the
audience and sell them on this article, and on wanting to
learn the details of a dispute that could have ended The
Cure. However the pull quote is not placed as effectively as
it could have been to really grab their attention, again, this
is maybe because it is just not Mojos style to employ
these tools to engage with the reader.

Colour: The colour scheme used is

largely black and white, coming from
the photographs used, with accents of
red and yellow used throughout. This
combination of monochrome set against
the two primary colours is where we see
the link to the cover page start forming
again. Also the image colour palettes
directly translate into the colours used
in the imposed parts used to create this
magazine article, and vice versa.
Continuity is restored in the colours on
these pages. Yellow and red used to
accentuate work effectively at directing
the eye, and giving a bold, statement
look.

Title: The title of the pages is quite simply
the name of the band and the record in
focus, and the year it was produced. This
centralises the article, and seems to
continue the no frills approach that
Mojo takes, and this would appeal to an
audience of 35-44 year old males with a
serious passion for music of this genre. It
is not expressly clear that the text on the
left hand page is the title- although it is
larger than the body text and the header
text, it does not immediately distinguish
itself as disparate from other text in the
way a title should. Also the placement
may leave the reader searching for the
title, which is not ideal, the idea is to
direct the eye, not confuse it. It is,
however, in a colour that disjoins it from
the foreground.

Drop caps: The drop cap used on this double page spread is
minimalistic, and low-key. It is used as a tool to mark the
start of the first section of the articles text, as is
conventional in print media, as it makes for a block of text
with a clear start point. The lack of a larger, more formal,
or decorative drop cap really supports the established
straightforward, vibe that Mojo have set up. A simple,
slightly larger, sans serif font is used, suiting the affluent
older male audience entirely- it is straight to the point.

Overall Impression: Overall, this double page spread is laid out in

an aesthetically pleasing way, and the theme and style directly links
to the front cover, which aids a continuous look. Images occupy the
most part of these pages, and work harmoniously with the article,
and the exclusivity of it all, with their archived, original feeling. The
title of the article could be clearer, if it were larger, or bolder, but it
does fit with the target audience of the magazine, and the
straightforward approach Mojo has towards music and their
content.