Analysing Kerrang!’s Contents Page

Kerrang! uses images in their contents page and this is to engage the audiences more in looking up the topics that are available in this issue. The images are constructed and layout in an orderly fashion – one image is in the upper centre and the other two are squeezed in the contents listing. This is so because the images they used are entertaining and they also are used to engage the audience into reading the articles that are presented.

The images support the initial findings regarding the magazine style which is individualistic and creatively rebellious. In the contents page, the images are presented in a way that one image stands out from the rest. This image shows a man with a lot of tattoos in his arm and is enjoying singing. This again correlates to the stated findings which are creatively rebellious.

The colours used are white, black, red and yellow which is the same house style as the cover page. This shows consistency and connectivity throughout the first magazine pages. The fonts, meanwhile, used are in bold and caps lock. Though, the subtitles of the articles given are in small, light fonts giving emphasis to the titles of the articles. This adheres to the house style of the front cover as well because most of the fonts are giving emphasis and solidity just like the genre of the magazine.

The information is organised by giving short description to the article titles. This helps the audience locate the articles they want to read first and also gives a brief definition of what the article is about. This creates the effect of the audience being more engaged as they already have now a brief idea of the topics given in the issue.

“Feedback”, “News”, “Features”, “Shots”, “Lives”, “Albums”, “Gig Guide” and “The Ultimate Goblin Test are the sections which are presented in the contents page. The section title is very straightforward as it doesn’t give a more creative and more enjoyable section title. This shows that the magazine is very straightforward and only wants to deliver information and news straightforwardly, without any sugar-coated words.

The contents page itself is a medium of promotion. With the use of words like ‘introducing’, ‘biggest guitar band in the UK’ and ‘special’. These words are just some of the promotional words in the contents page of the magazine.

The magazine logo however is not present in the contents page. Although this is the case, the title of the page which says “Contents” is designed in the same way as the logo is. This shows adherence to the house style of the magazine.

Kerrang! has a franchise which is an energy drink called “Relentless”. It is also not presented in the contents page however; it has a full page advert of the franchise on the previous page.