Ellis Dear

Brand Identity and Mode of Address Analysis

Top of the Pops Front Cover

Typography: The typography used on this front cover represents Top of the Pop’s brand identity to be very modernity and current. This is because a wide mix of bold sans serif fonts have been used throughout the front page. Sans serif fonts connote youth and style, which also shows the brand identity to be aimed more at a younger teenage target audience. House style is used within the typography, as with every issue of Top of the Pops magazine, the masthead, cover story and cover lines are always in a sans serif style font, which make the magazine recognisable.

Layout: The layout of this Top of the Pops magazine is fairly cluttered and appears very busy. There is no route-of-the-eye layout present. However, this busy organisation is very entertaining and fun to young readers therefore connotes Top of the Pop’s brand identity to be very compelling and intriguing to a teenage target audience. This layout also uses house style, as every issue of Top of the Pops has an intriguingly messy layout design.

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Colour: There are wide ranges of bright and arousing colours used on this magazine

cover. The colours used appear very eye-catching, feminine based and very ‘in your face’ to look at, due to the brightness of them. Therefore, this connotes the magazine’s brand identity to be very exciting and fun, but also very female leaning. The colours also use house style, as every edition of Top of the Pops uses a lively and entertaining colour scheme.

Images: The images on Top of the Pop’s cover easily create a clear sense of the magazine’s brand identity. This is through the use of many images of celebrities over exaggerating a smile for the camera, which creates a very positive, yet ‘cheesy’ vibe of brand identity. The celebrities’ happy facial expressions also show that the brand identity is aimed at a young teenage audience, as they create an up-lifting and cheerful tone to the magazine, which we tend to associate with pop genre music. The main image that we are suddenly drawn to is of Cher Lloyd. Cher is posing in a playful manner, which also creates a sense of a bubbly and stylish brand identity. Mode of address is also present because Cher is looking directly at the camera, which engages the audience, as it makes them feel connected to both the music artist and the magazine. House style is also used within the images, as every Top of the Pops issue is packed full with celebrities grinning and laughing.

Language: Top of the Pops used their language to further their representation of a fun, friendly and youthful brand identity. The language used is very informal and suitable for younger generations. This is because slang/abbreviations are present on the cover. For example, ‘amazeballs’, ‘lush’ and ‘swagger’, are all used, which are playful and good-humoured words, which we associate with a younger era. Mode of address is also used within the language, as the magazine directly asks readers questions, e.g., ‘Has straight-talking Cher lost her swagger? and ‘Are you ready for summer love?’ These straight on questions directly engage the readers, giving them a sense of connection with the magazine. The language also uses house style as every Top of the Pops magazine contains short and sweet sentences, which are of a colloquial language and compelling to its audience.

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Contents Page

Typography: The typography on this contents page is all printed in a sans serif font. This creates Top of the Pop’s brand identity to be represented as quite up-to-date and up-beat, as sans serif font types are very new and modern. Mode of address is also used within these fonts, as sans serif type is associated with younger generations, which Top of the Pops is targeting, therefore it will engage and attract young readers. House style is also used as every edition of this magazine contains sans serif fonts on the contents page, which also shows Top of the Pop’s brand identity as very professional, as they have managed to produce a recognisable magazine.

Layout: The layout of the contents page is similar to the layout on the front cover. This is because both of the layouts appear very cluttered and busy, however this ‘busyness’ is extremely eye-catching and entertaining to view, therefore mode of address is used, as this engages a young audience to the page. This amusing layout creates Top of the Pop’s brand identity to convey excitement and enthusiasm, as the

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page is full of eye-catching features, which appears extremely lively. House style is used, as every contents page from this magazine carries on the same energetic and quirky layout in each issue.

Colour: The colours used are very bright, bold and striking. Just like the front cover, many different colours have been used which capture audience’s attention, meaning mode of address has been directed on connecting the readers. Once again, the colour scheme is very girly, which signifies the brand identity to be female leaning, rather than male. The ray of bright colours is also very cheery and up-lifting, which connotes Top of the Pop’s brand identity to be enjoyable and joyful as well as represent a positive vibe.

Images: The contents page contains images of celebrities that use mode of address, as they are smiling and looking towards the camera. The smile of the music artists creates a positive reaction from readers towards the magazine and the eye contact from them helps engage readers further and connect their attention. This up-lifting atmosphere of the contents page also creates a cheerful and out-going brand identity for the magazine. The celebrities shown on the page also signify the brand identity to be very professional and of a high-status, as it shows us that many famous icons are willing to be associated and seen as part of Top of the Pops music magazine with every edition released. There are also images of fashionable clothing, which connotes Top of the Pop’s brand identity to be very wide and established, as even though it is a music magazine, it also caters for a fashion aspect as well. House style is also used within the images, as every Top of the Pops issue is packed full with intriguing pictures of fashion and celebrities.

Language: The language used on the contents page is of a colloquial language and is purposely targeted well at its niche audience. This is because quotes like ‘Celebs and Gossip’, ‘Crazy in Love’ and ‘Fit and Fabulous’ are used which implies the brand identity to seem extremely youthful, quirky and up-beat by pulling attention in with specific short and sweet sentences, phrased in a certain characteristic way to attract targeted readers. Mode of address is also present because the page directly asks the audience questions, to compellingly draw them into the magazine and engage them. For example, ‘Can you kiss with confidence?’ is asked, which is not only directly asked at readers, but is also a personal question, which connotes the magazine’s brand identity to be very ‘in your face’ and full of an out-going personality.

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Double Page Spread

Typography: The typography used on this double page spread is written in a mixture of both sans serif and serif fonts. The sans serif fonts connote youth and style, as they are very juvenile and contemporary. Whereas the serif fonts have a more serious tone to them. This signifies the magazine’s brand identity to be authoritative and professional, as in more casual parts of language sans serif has been used to show the relaxed tone, whereas in more personal and serious parts of the interview, serif fonts are used to show the more meaningful and particular elements of the article.

Layout: The layout of this double page spread shows the magazine’s brand identity to be specialised and sophisticated. This is because the layout is well organised and effectively designed. The structure and organisation also creates a sense of mode of address, as the easy to follow layout makes the double page spread appear to look intriguing and an enjoyable easy read for the specific aimed target audience.

Colour: The colours used are mainly a mix of grey, white and blue. This is because One Direction are a boy band aimed at teenage girls, however to make both genders interested in the article, a more masculine colour scheme has been

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chosen, to reduce the article from being female leaning and to make the double page spread seem neutral. Also, as the article is based on males, these certain colours have been used, as they are more conventional to be seen with the male gender. Considering all this, the brand identity is connoted as professional, sophisticated and refined, as it shows a lot of planning, thought and design goes into the two pages, so that they appeal as much as possible to the targeted readers. It also shows the brand identity to be very high-level and specialist, as they design the double page spreads every week to relate to the present music artist.

Image: The images on this double page spread are of band members Zayn Malik and Harry Styles from One Direction. They both connote the magazine’s brand identity to be very feminine leaning, as One Direction is a boy band that appeals to a target audience of young teenage girls. The two musicians are also dressed very fashionably and smart; which also signifies the brand identity to seem quite modern-day and current, through choice of clothing. Mode of address is also featured, as Zayn and Harry are looking straight at the camera, creating eye contact with readers. This is used so that the audience can engage with the magazine and the two band members, to feel connected to both the articles and artists. House style is used, as on every double page spread, there is always a picture of the music artist who is being interviewed. This so the spread is more visual, therefore appears more eye-catching and interesting to view and read.

Language: The language used is very colloquial and relatable for the magazine’s target audience of younger generations. For example, young teenagers will relate to the quote by Zayn ‘I felt like I didn’t fit in’ and Harry’s quote ‘I put my girlfriend before my grades’. This is mode of address because many young teenagers may be struggling though school and will relate to how Zayn felt and Harry’s quote will make many young girls’ hearts melt. Therefore they will engage and feel connected with the magazine. This also creates sympathy from readers for the band members, which also creates a high-status, professional and trust-worthy brand identity, as it shows readers the magazine’s importance, as celebrities find the articles worth opening up to, to tell personal stories.