My media product represents my particular social group by the use of costume, props and the type of language used in the magazine. My magazine is aimed at the social class ABC1, which is a very wide audience, however it means that it attracts mostly middle-class people who are interested in at tenting gigs and festivals and also love reading and getting involved with their favourite artists and bands. I have tried to attract this social class by the use of my model and her surroundings, props and costumes.
My model, Ruth Prada, is a young female in her mid/late teens. She is posing as a 'well known' indie artist for my magazine as Aurora Storm. She has dark brown hair with a full fringe which indicates she's bold and powerful, and is never afraid to stand out and be her own person. She also has piercing blue eyes which are highlighted against her pale skin. This in itself will attract all types of my audience as the cover image is very out-going and eye-catching with an edge, just like Ruth. She wears quite a bit of make-up - bright, red lips which connote seductiveness, danger and passion combined with her black eyeliner which enhance her eyes to give her an exaggerated look. This unique style appeals to my particular social group of the indie genre as it's quite dramatic and trendy. This look could influence future styles as readers idolise her. For the cover image, I chose to put Ruth into a bandeau which you can't actually see in the images - this makes the model look bare and makes her appear more sexualised, although it's not an explicit image in any way; this represents how she quite literally lays herself bare and is giving an honest interview in the magazine and being herself. For the images where Ruth is wearing more clothes, she's featured in a patterned shirt and simple leggings with Dr Marten boots. These items of clothing are worn a lot by the indie/hipster community and are very stylish. I felt that using these two different types clothing gave an all round impression. Clothing is very important when trying to appeal to different social groups as they are all interested in and like different styles and fashion trends. By including a variety of outfits, I reached out to appeal to each of these different styles. For facial expressions, Ruth mainly looked quite serious and gave direct eye contact to the audience to draw them in and capture their full attention. Ruth also gave silly faces such as sticking out her tongue too to play on the fun and energetic side of the magazine. I felt that smiling wasn't a very successful pose as it makes the artist appear to be sweet and innocent which is not the look that we were trying to get across, however that would be more suitable for a magazine such as Top Of The Pops. This makes Ruth come across as an artist which edge, superiority and power.
Props also played a big part in appealing to different social groups as I want to appeal to allow the audience to get a glimpse of what is inside the magazine before they read any words or even have to think about it. As the front cover image speaks for itself in terms of the models facial expressions and body language, I chose to feature props in other images which will be used in various other places inside the magazine such as the article. Using props such as amplifiers, guitars and microphones tie in with the Indie genre of the magazine - these props are musically related which will therefore emphasise the initial point of the magazine.
Poses and positions are quite influential on who will be attracted to the magazine. I would like the magazine to appeal to both males and females so there has to be a half way line where both ideas meet the middle. I needed to choose a model that wouldn't worry about being silly and over the top with her poses and the positions that she would have to be in. I also wanted someone that could look good even pulling the most bizarre pose. To appeal to more males, I chose more provocative poses which contrasts with the more simplistic and sweet poses which appeal more towards the females. This is also very motivating for girls who inspire to be like this artist.
I have included a general house style within my magazine to keep it all together and have an overall professional look. I used red, black and white's to relate to the genre of my magazine which again, appeals to my particular social groups. I want my magazine to be fun and energetic whilst also quite simplistic and a little bit serious, therefore adding bright whites and deep blacks with a vibrant red really sets the magazine's tone well.
The lexis featured in my magazine are both quite formal, conversational and at some times explicit. I wrote in a way that many journalists who work for a magazine such as OK! or Shout magazine wouldn't imagine to use. I decided that it was highly inappropriate to use this type of taboo language as other magazines like mine, such as Q and NME, all used this similar lexis and it reflects the honesty and authenticity of the magazine. It makes the reader feel relaxed and could represent how the particular social group tend to speak and their overall vocabulary.
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