Men's Health is a long running popular lifestyle magazine which focuses on predominantly health & fitness issues but is also concerned with transforming its reader to achieve a specific 'look' that audiences may have an ambition to emulate. For this reason it targets the "Aspirer" from Young & Rubicam's 4Cs model. There are certainly those that read it who may already have achieved what they want to physically and in other aspects of their life which mean that it does appeal to a "Succeeder" and by the same token, there are "Mainstreamers" out there who know the brand name and are genuinely interested in their health & fitness without the means to join a gm or hire a personal trainer.
Overwhelmingly though, this magazine is about self improvement from a physical perspective because of the positive social implications this can have - aspiration to be and look better is fundamental to the brand's identity.
Text 1. Magazine Cover, Double Page Spread & Advertorial
The covers of Men's Health are pretty much identical every month. A clean white background with the masthead in red emblazoned in the background. A physically fit and muscular man is framed in long shot to show his entire body (or sometimes in medium shot to emphasise abdominal muscles and biceps). The model is in the middle of the page surrounded by numerous different cover lines which fill the page. The magazine wants to create the impression that it is packed full of useful information for its reader.
The repetition of this formula is essential to create a feeling of order, structure and routine; all elements vital for being successful in achieving the body being sold to the reader! This edition from October 2015 is entirely in keeping with the brand identity with one notable and interesting exception; the model on the front has an artificial right leg. This is made obvious and pronounced by the use of long shot & also how it juxtaposes the models other muscly, tattooed leg. There is an opposition of the organic with the mechanical. This departure from physical human perfection is very unusual for such a magazine. Disability is rarely represented or mentioned at all, however the ideology is made clear from the anchorage which appears in the cover line made to look like a rosette in the top right corner of the cover: "MH Heroes 2015. They took on life and won - what's your excuse?" It becomes clear that the artificial leg should not be seen as a disability but as part of who this man is, he has owned this as a challenge and laid down the gauntlet to the readers.
The rest of the cover lines are all as would be expected - encouraging the audience to open the pages to become a better looking and physically prominent male. Fighting "flab", finding out how to "hotwire metabolism" and how to "build a V shape" are all based purely on the aesthetics of physicality but also use language that is stereotypically massculine: "hotwiring", "building" "fighting".
The spread is typical of a magazine feature. A single image dominates nearly 75% of the entirety of the double pages with the headline: "Fear Conquers All" providing an enigma as it juxtaposes the image of a clearly strong and physically fit man. The man has clear scarring and we can assume that the punching bag he is attacking with gloved hands is not just supposed to be taken literally, but that this man has had other fights in his life & bigger challenges.
Sure enough the article uses fitness as a context to discuss the subject overcoming a series of serious illnesses and his own mental strength and determination to keep going. He is used as a role model. Someone to aspire to whilst also being someone that others may identify with - not being a celebrity or famous. He is an ordinary person who has made himself capable of extraordinary things. The copy continually reinforces this message whilst also bringing the topic back to the importance of physical wellbeing making mental & physical health have a symbiotic relationship.
There are no pull quotes on the page however there is a small inserted image which is meant to feel more like a candid 'day in the life' shot rather than one posed for the magazine, again emphasising how 'real' this person is and forging a connection between the subject of the interview and the target audience.
The advertorial for the energy supplement Berocca, does whatever it can to make itself feel like it is part of the magazine rather than just an advert (with the legal exception of having to state that it is an advertorial at the top right corner of the page).
To start with, the layout is in columns, a headline which relies on a play on words being slightly ambiguous. A stand first which gives an introduction to the 'article' even a side bar with three handy tips for the reader.
The language itself also tries similar tactics to the magazine to engage the target audience. By discussing competitors and aggressors, the article plays on male stereotypes of conflict and search for dominance over others in the work place. Weakly disguising itself as just reporting the facts - the copy offers a number of reasons for people to use Berroca which are sometimes scientific and sometimes more about social situations - either way, this advert is doing its best to fulfil as many of the audience's social and esteem needs as possible.
The advert knows that the audience has busy lives and use the magazine as a source of information, hence the sidebar which offers extraneous information away from the product - creating the illusion that the advert is more concerned about the reader than the hard sell! However this is perhaps somewhat undermined by the large image of the product brand and how it works which sits on top of the main image.
Text 2. Video from Men's Health YouTube channel
The Men's Health YouTube channel is full of videos that offer guidance & assistance with a number of different activities, training exercises and dietary advice. There is a mixture of celebrities and non-celebrity experts throughout. Broadly though, there are several 'categories' of video. One of which is the 'Cheat Day' video of which this is one.
Using American actor and celebrity Sebastian Stan, this is a short montage, almost a silent movie which pokes fun at the idea of having a cheat day during a diet. It showcases iconic New York streets on Stan's mission to find fast food. This video is more about the star appeal of the celebrity and entertainment than it is about information - but it adds to the brand identity of the magazine that it can laugh at itself and have a sense of humour whilst also reinforcing an ideology that having a physically (or even materially) aspirational life doesn't come at all costs and that life (and fast food) can be enjoyed as part of the journey to get the perfect body!
Text 3. Men's Health Website
The homepage is completely typical of the magazine and the medium. Large image that dominates the page. In this case of a muscular man at the gym. He is tending to the weights- but this ties in with the main story: "When will Gyms re-open?" taking on the current affairs talking point of how Covid-19 has had an impact on the service industry - in this case the fitness industry. This is important as websites can offer something that the magazine may not be able to - to be as up to date as possible with new information. A story like Covid changes every day but a magazine is only published once a month. Therefore whilst the medium is there to promote the magazine, it stays up to date in ways that the magazine cannot.
Other than that, the homepage is exactly as would be expected. A menu bar outlining all the main areas of interest and the all important option to subscribe. As you scroll down there is more copy and more images of recent stories and opportunities to link to social media platforms - encouraging audiences to make the brand a part of their every day life.
The article is almost a replica of the kind of article expected from the paper Magazine, but with short form journalism rather than longer more involved pieces you might find in the print copy. It is vital for online magazines to continually produce online content that is unique & distinct from it's paper copy (as well as its competitors) in order to make sure the audience sees the brand as fresh and new at all times!
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