Seventeen Magazine & Sugar Magazine Comparison

The top image on the left is a magazine cover by Seventeen magazine, and below, a magazine cover by Sugar. Both magazines portray the correct conventions for their target audience. Both of their target audiences are girls ranging from 12-16 years old. Their target audience is immediately made clear to an individual mainly through the colours used as well as the main image; which for both magazines is a girl smiling on the front cover. Both models used are popular to the target audience within their own reasons for being famous. Seventeen magazine uses a lot of pink throughout its colour theme which is immediately associated with romance and love. Pink is also associated with feelings of calmness. It is a definite Female colour. Sugar magazine has no examples of pink within this issue’s cover. However, the model as well as the colour yellow which is quickly associated with sunshine it Indicates energy, optimism, joy, hope and warmth. It is the symbol of spontaneity and impulsiveness. Therefore this article is clearly identified as a girl’s magazine too.

Both magazines vary in composition. Seventeen magazine is easy to identify as it uses the same style mast head within every issue. As already stated, Seventeen has used bright and girly colours and its layout is more simply in comparison to Sugar. Seventeen magazine uses many strap lines to entice there audience, but still keeping the overall effect simply and easy to read. ‘Hot Summer Deals’ is the main strap line; it is in a bold, large font immediately catching the reader’s eye. ‘100 summer Fun things to do’, this is another strap used; its large clear font makes it stand out. The word ‘fun’ is in yellow contrasting with the other words which are in blue. This makes the word ‘fun’ stand out individually.  The strap lines are all blue, yellow or red; which all tie in too the girly, beach colour theme and give the magazine a clear, professional image.

Sugar on the other hand, has a slightly different composition in comparison to Seventeen. It is a lot busier within the strap lines and colouring. Like Seventeen, it used the same mast head every issue so loyal readers can identify the magazine quickly and easily. Its colouring, also already covered is mainly pink and purples which make the target audience clear to identify. The main image is a close up of a celebrity which would appeal to the target audience age range. She is smiling, giving the impression she is having a great time and automatically associating the magazine with positive emotions. The strap lines on the Sugar cover are mainly questions, which foreshadow to the reader what the articles inside will be based on. It entices them and makes them want to purchase the magazine. The magazine also has pictures of clothing on the cover to show it has a fashion contents within it. ‘Top 20 summer hairstyles’ this strap line reveals more of the inner contents and engages the target audience. The 20 is in yellow and in a larger font making it stand out within the statement; this draws the reader eye towards it.

In conclusion I think Seventeen magazine is the better magazine personally because its layout is more effective through its simplistic image and entices the audience through its strap lines which all draw the reader in for different reasons. Sugar magazine is busier and could be considered to be confusing at first glance.