EXSISTING

NAMES
AND
MASTHEADS

ByEllie-MaeDavies

The original name of this particular music magazine was New Music
Express however this did later get shortened into the acronym NME, only for
the reason that it benefitted the readers as it was easier to remember, as well
as being more recognisable
Previously New Music Express held a rather formal tone to it almost
preventing the reader from building up a personal interest with the magazine
due to the persona it portrayed not meeting the needs and expectations to this
specific genre of music.
Music, especially the genre that NME focuses primarily on relates to rebellion
and destruction, thus when the name was condensed it was not following the
conventions expected and so the company was seen as attempting to create a
new brand image that conducted a less formal persona.
Additionally the name of the magazine NME almost resembles enemy this is
intentionally done in order to reflect the type of music that they feature being
destructive and occasionally threatening. Alternatively mirroring the way in
which the readers act, as they can be stereotyped as being rather
unconventional and so potentially have the ability of carrying an alternative
attitude to what is expected.
As for the image that is created, the large letters visually engage the reader as
it is one of the first elements that they would notice. The fact that it is bright red
and outlined in white also contributes to this idea. Red is an extremely vibrant
colour with connotations of danger, again reiterating the way they are trying
to gain the attention of unconventional music fanatics.

They withhold a masthead which includes just one single letter

creating a sense of simplicity and mystery, as well as being
recognisable and memorable. Previously the magazine was named
Cue in relation to cueing a record before its ready to be played.
However there seemed to be an issue of confusion as it regularly got
confused with being a snooker magazine.
Although the original sound of Cue stayed, it was now condensed
into just one letter Q, ultimately making it more prominent,
especially on a newsstand rapidly increasing the chances of passers
by picking it up, due to it being so easy to spot.
The font conveys a sense of elegance which gives an indication of
the type of music they feature, along with the simplicity of the white
Q on a red background implies that the music that is regularly
featured is mostly mainstream/traditional.
Once again the colour scheme is extremely simple with nothing too
dramatic. The colour red has connotations of love and power,
whist white contrasts this when representing purity as well as
innocence. Ultimately creating a juxtaposing colour scheme
through two contrasting colours.

Kerrang was chosen to be the name of the magazine due to the sound
that a guitar makes when you strum it. From this it is clear the type of
music they feature is rock, as the name is extremely loud and obstructive,
fitting into the style of music.
This particular masthead Kerrang has remained the same throughout
the duration of time that it has been produced, therefore highlighting
how recognisable it really is. Along side the exclamation mark at the end,
almost alerting the reader that it is urgent/important information inside
the magazine. Alternatively it could be reflecting how it is involved in the
rock genre of music.
The name itself holds rather negative connotations related to violence,
however this is also reiterated through the style used. The multiple black
lines scattered over the simple white font creates a broken glass effect,
giving the magazine an overall aggressive vibe. Additionally the single
letters themselves are not considered smooth, they are controversially
rather rough creating an unfinished look that could be considered
messy. However the fact they have done this purposely may be to reflect
their main target audiences outlook on music being nothing is perfect
and so why should they manipulate something to be?
The monochrome colour scheme that they have chosen is rather simple
yet effective. This is because it is not too bold, that it will withdraw the
readers attention from the main image.