GQ - Audience & Industries blog tasks

 Audience

Look through the GQ Media Kit and answer the following questions: 

1) How does the media kit introduction describe GQ?

It described GQ as being the ‘flagship of men’s fashion and style in Britain’ and ‘progressive and cutting edge”.

2) What does the media kit suggest about masculinity? 

It suggests that masculinity is evolving.

3) Pick out three statistics from the data on page 2 and explain what they suggest about the GQ audience.

61% ABC1: Readers are mainly well educated and successful people.

£138k average HHI: This is considered a high income in the UK which suggests GQ appeals to professionals/other highly paid people. 

£7.7k annual spend on fashion: This suggests the average reader has a high interest in fashion and are likely very conscious of their style.

4) Look at page 3 - brand highlights. What special editions do GQ run and what do these suggest about the GQ audience?

GQ Heroes: panels and live performances bringing together gamechangers, creative radicals, deep thinkers and cultural icons. This suggests the GQ audience are educated and appreciate listening to intelligent discussions.  

GQ Hype: in-depth profiles of stars who are considered opinion leaders in media and cultural discussions. This suggests the audience are engaged in celebrity culture and stay up to date with celebrity’s lives.

Men of the year awards: High profile event attended by popular celebrities and receiving 9.8 billion views. This is an extremely exclusive event with many big names making an appearance with red carpet coverage which suggests the audience are attracted to the glamour and status being represented, possibly due to it being something they chase themselves.

5) Still on page 3, what does the video and social series section suggest about how magazine audiences are changing? 

Audiences are starting to become mainly digital as people expect short form content which they can share with friends at the click of a button.

Media Magazine feature: GQ

Go to our Media Magazine archive and read the article on GQ (MM82 - page 12). Answer the following questions:

1) What are the elements that go into choosing a cover stars for GQ? 

The person should be someone that’s: currently in the public eye, has cultural relevance, willing to do something new for the cover, exclusive to GQ and someone the audience aspires to be.

2) How is the magazine constructed to serve the target audience? 

It serves its target audience by having a focus on men’s fashion, trying to be unpredictable and having a good balance of content.

3) What does the article suggest about GQ's advertisers and sponsorships - and what in turn does this tell us about the GQ audience? 

The advertises are mainly luxury brands which sell high end items which tells us the readers of GQ must be wealthy as the advertisers choose to promote their product (which not many can afford) to them. 

4) What is GQ Hype - and how does it reflect the impact of digital media on traditional print media?

GQ Hype is a weekly celebrity cover/profile which is exclusively online. Being digital gives it a higher chance of going viral and being consumed by many more people than a print version would’ve. This reflects how digital media has expanded the possibilities of what audiences have access to. 

5) Finally, what does the article say about additional revenue streams for print magazines like GQ?  

They can earn money from advertising, sponsorship and their in person events where they charge large amounts for tickets to attend.

Industries

Your industries contexts are divided into three areas - Conde Nast, GQ's website and social media content and the impact of digital media on print industries.

Condé Nast

Read this Guardian news article on editorial changes at Condé Nast and answer the following questions: 

1) Who was previously GQ editor for 22 years? 

Dylan Jones

2) What happened to the 'lads' mag' boom magazines such as Nuts, Maxim and Loaded? 

They were closed down or went online due to circulation fails. 

3) What changes have been taking place at Condé Nast in recent years and why? 

They’ve been trying to focus on digital media more in recent years due to the rise in digital products and the decline in magazine readers.

Read this Press Gazette article on Conde Nast. Answer the following questions:

1) What does the article suggest about Condé Nast's recent strategy? 

They’ve merged global editorial teams to prevent duplication of content as they move towards a digital first approach.

2) How does chief executive Roger Lynch describe Condé Nast and why? 

He believes it’s no longer a magazine company as they have only 70m people reading their magazines each month but they have 300m on their website and 450m interacting with their social media. 

3) What does Adam Baidawi say about Condé Nast, GQ and culture? 

He believes they need to evolve with culture in order to stay relevant and not lose their audience.

Read this FIPP feature on Condé Nast diversifying into video and streaming content. Answer the following questions: 

1) How is Condé Nast moving away from traditional print products?

Conde Nast are investing heavily in streaming content and video instead of traditional print. 

2) What examples are provided of Condé Nast's video and streaming content?

GQ sports (the super bowl) and exclusive access to relaunch the met gala. 

3) What does the end of the article suggest modern media audiences want? 

It suggests that modern audiences want to be actively involved in the media they're consuming rather than just sitting back and absorbing it.

GQ website, video and social media content 

Visit the GQ website, Instagram and YouTube channel. Note that some of these may be blocked in school. Once you have looked over GQ's online content, answer the following questions:

1) What similarities do you notice between the website and the print edition of the magazine?

Both the print and magazine have a central image as the cover to do with fashion however the website has a video rather than a still image. They both have designer/luxury adverts such as the rolex advert promoting high end items and they both contain the same type of content. 

2) Analyse the top menu of the GQ website (e.g. Fashion / Grooming / Culture). What do the menu items suggest about GQ's audience?

The menu suggests that the audience are culturally aware, concerned about their appearance and aspire to live a luxury lifestyle/already do . 

3) What does GQ's Instagram feed suggest about the GQ brand? Is this appealing to a similar audience to the print version of the magazine?

The GQ Instagram features similar images to those on the covers on their magazines (high quality celebrity feature photos) but they also have clips from their online content and events which shows they’re trying to appeal to a wider (probably younger) audience.

4) In your opinion, is GQ's social media content designed to sell the print magazine or build a digital audience? Why?

I believe their social media is being used to build a digital audience rather than generate sales for their magazine. This is because they don’t directly promote the magazine but rather just use the platform as a place to engage with their audience and build their brand image.

5) Evaluate the success of the GQ brand online. Does it successfully communicate with its target audience? Will the digital platforms eventually replace the print magazine completely?

I believe GQs online presence has been a success as they have kept the same brand image from their print which has gained them millions of followers and helped them build a stronger relationship with their audience. I believe they’re not going to entirely replace print but I do think that print will become a lot more niche and they will follow in the steps of the gentlewoman who publish their magazine only twice a year for their more sophisticated audience who prefer print over digital as it means they’ll likely make more profit knowing they have a more exclusive product. 

Advertising assessment: Learner response

 1) Type up your feedback in full (you don't need to write the mark and grade if you want to keep this confidential).

Revise key theories, terminology and CSPs.

2) Read the whole mark scheme for this assessment carefully. Identify at least one potential point that you missed out on for each question in the assessment.

Armani ‘Diamonds’ advert constructs a traditional, hyper-masculine message – fiercely heterosexual. Suit, white shirt, tie – classic masculine mise-en-scene. Brand logo – serif font, links to monochrome colour scheme, style, sophistication, tradition. Understated, placed in bottom-left. Product not specified – about brand ‘feel’, aspiration rather than actual product details.

Traditional representation of masculinity more in keeping with 1960s or 1970s; Reinforces glamorous James Bond style of masculinity. Aggressively heterosexual representation perhaps shows male insecurity in light of the decriminalisation of homosexuality in 1967.

Cultural conviviality: This refers to the real-world multiculturalism and racial harmony that most people experience on a day-to-day basis. It is in stark contrast to the racial disharmony and binary view often presented by the media. ‘Othering’ or racial otherness: Paul Gilroy suggests non-white representations are constructed as a ‘racial other’ in contrast to white Western ideals.

3) Look at your answer and the mark scheme for Question 1 (Diamonds advert unseen text). List three examples of media terminology or theory that you could have included in your answer. 

Man as the hunted, looked-at object; objectification of men (Gill – female gaze).

Promise of irresistible appeal – ‘sex sells’ (common narrative in men’s grooming; Barthes’ action code).

Costume barely visible for female models – flesh on display. Heavily made-up faces constructed/Photoshopped image. Links to Kilbourne’s analysis of women in advertising.

4) Look at your answer and the mark scheme for Question 2. What aspects of the cultural and historical context for the Score hair cream advert do you need to revise or develop in future?

The legalisation of gay marriage and the end of colonialism

5) Now look over your mark, comments and the mark scheme for Question 3 - the 9-mark question on Sephora Black Beauty Is Beauty. List any postcolonial terminology you could have added to your answer here.  

Othering, racial otherness, racial essentialism, double consciousness, cultural conviviality 

Magazine Cover Practical

My 3 options for which magazine i would do were: HYPEBEAST, i-D and Highsnobiety as all these magazines focus on youth culture and fashion. 

I decided to do i-D as the other options were heavily focused on Brands and Fashion whereas i-D was focused more on the individual and their identity which was being represented in a single frame. 

1) In your blogpost, write your main cover line (also called the 'main flash') - this is the main cover story that links to your central image. It must be 100% original - all your own words.

From my research I've found that i-D magazines don't usually have a main cover line and instead they focus on the image and the contents of the magazine.

2) Briefly plan the image you will need for the cover - model, costume, make-up, lighting etc. At this point, simply describe the image you need to capture.

A full body shot photo focused on the outfit and a wide shot to show the setting.

3) Write the cover lines and any additional text you need for your magazine cover.

For my text I'm taking a a more humorous approach and decided to make the names and the contents centred around how amazing I am. I did this by using the text in the top right where it usually discusses models/the names of people the magazine stories are focused on to write my own name multiple times: "The amazing Dennis" "The Iconic Dennis". Then for the contents information I followed the same idea by focusing all the stories on me: "Why Denis is so amazing" "Why 2007 is the greatest year in all of history (Dennis was born)".

 

As I wasn’t able to do a photoshoot I had to improvise and find a picture which matched the magazine I had chosen. I chose this image because i believe it reflects youth culture with the city background and the outfit being the focus.

I believe I did well with what I had to work with and the cover i made isn’t exactly perfect but i do think it looks somewhat professional. I took certain aspects from different existing cover i saw such as the teared paper effect to uncover big names included in the magazine and having an insight into the contents on the left which i saw on majority of the existing covers. I tried to use the same fonts as the originals but I had to settle for something similar as I wasn’t able to find them. 

If I had to do this practical again I’d have waited and used the in school equipment to do a photoshoot as I believe that would’ve made my work look much more professional and it would’ve allowed me to be more creative with my editing and let me choose where I want to place things. This is because the magazine logo is usually on the left in the real magazines but with my image it had to go on the right to not make the left too crowded and cover up the image. 

Advertising and marketing Index

 1) Advertising: Introduction to advertising

2) Advertising: the representation of women in advertising

3) Advertising: Gauntlett and masculinity
4) Advertising: Score hair cream CSP

5) Advertising: Introduction to Postcolonialism
6) Advertising: Sephora Black Beauty is Beauty CSP

Blog tasks: Sephora Black Beauty Is Beauty CSP

 1) What was Sephora trying to achieve with the campaign?

They wanted to show their support for black beauty culture after a scandal that occurred with a black celebrity. 

2) What scenes from the advert are highlighted as particularly significant in the articles?

Beauty parlour: Opens in a salon with Black women under dryers—evokes heritage and everyday Black beauty rituals.

Drag show dressing room: Shows drag queens doing makeup—emphasises queer and Black influence on beauty trends.
Black mother with her daughter: Represents generational knowledge and care in Black families.
Vogueing at a drag ball: Highlights the origin of popular beauty/dance culture in Black and queer communities.
White person applying a cut crease: pointing out how mainstream trends stem from Black creativity.
Reference to Lyda D. Newman: Acknowledges her invention of the hairbrush—celebrates overlooked Black historical figures in beauty

3) As well as YouTube, what TV channels and networks did the advert appear on?

American channels such as: BET, OWN, HBO Max and Hulu

Social media such as: Instagram and Facebook

4) Why does the Refinery29 article suggest the advert 'doesn't feel performative'? 

The advert was created outside of Black History month which shows a year round commitment to black history. It was also made by a black female director which can be seen through the authenticity of the story telling and the history aspect of it.

5) What is the 15 per cent pledge and why is it significant?

The 15% pledge is a pledge for retailers to reserve 15% of shelf space for products sold by black owned businesses.

1) How does the advert use camerawork to communicate key messages about the brand?

It uses the camerawork to do this by using close ups of certain key aspects to emphasise their knowledge and what they’ve included in their advert to show they know what they’re saying and aren’t just doing it as a performance.

2) How is mise-en-scene used to create meanings about black beauty and culture?

Mise en scene can be seen being used through the settings: The beauty parlour which is a key aspect in everyday black culture and the regular home settings such as the bedroom/bathroom to make it feel more personal. 

It’s also using the props: the hair styling equipment which were made by black inventors to show support for those who are not recognised for their inventions.

Actors expressions: Throughout the whole advert we see multiple scenes where people are doing their routines together and smiling with eachother which shows a sense of community and love connected to black culture. 

3) How is editing used to create juxtapositions and meanings in the advert?

It uses editing such as the split screen effect to show both scenes at the same time and this is done to show how black culture has influenced todays social media trends and other people’s lifestyles. 

4) How are verbal codes used to create meanings in the advert - the voiceover and text on screen? 

 They use verbal codes to highlight historical black figures and give recognition to them as in the past people have ignored their input to the beauty industry and given credit to those who stole their ideas. 

5) What is the overall message of the advert? 

The overall message is that black beauty has had a massive impact on the beauty industry and the way people see beauty today. This is shown when the voice over says “What is beauty without black beauty?” which is emphasising this idea that black beauty has heavily influenced todays culture.

1) Look at the exam hint on the first page. How does Sephora as a brand and the CSP specifically reflect contemporary social and cultural contexts? 

The advert is used to show a different representation of black culture and give people an insight into black beauty to help move away from the Eurocentric beauty standard and bring inclusivity to the beauty industry. 

2) Media theory: how are Butler, Gauntlett, bell hooks and Gilroy applied to the CSP?

The advert embraces gender fluidity which supports Butlers claim that gender is nothing but a performance. 

Gauntlett- identity, the different representations shown to help build identity through media.

hooks- the advert challenges the idea of black beauty being marginal.

Gilroy- Advert challenges Eurocentric beauty standards and the racial hierarchy

3) What aspects of media language are highlighted on page 3 of the factsheet? 

 Mise en Scene: Settings like salons and kitchens, props like brushes and makeup, and warm lighting are used to evoke authenticity, history, and cultural pride.

Camera movement: pans,  close ups, and split screens convey intimacy, and highlight beauty tools and rituals

4) How does the factsheet summarise the advert on the final page?

The advert is focused on inclusivity and diversity which diverts from the conventional advert which would focus on the product. This is due to Sephora trying to deal with past racial controversies. 

5) What are the four ideologies in advertising highlighted in task 8 on the final page of the factsheet? In your opinion, do you feel the Sephora CSP advert challenges or reinforces each of these?  

 

Consumerism, Identity, Capitalism, Gender Fluidity. 

I believe the advert reinforces all of these 4 ideologies. Firstly, Consumerism and identity are linked in the advert by showing people express their personal identity through the use of beauty products which promotes their items and makes people think they need to buy products to help express who they are or for who they are. Then capitalism is also reinforced as Sephora themselves are a multi billion dollar company which is only possible thanks to capitalism. Finally, Gender Fluidity is also reinforced through the use of drag queens throughout the advert and promoting the idea that make up isn’t just for women.

Introduction to Postcolonialism: blog tasks

 1) Look at the first page. What is colonialism - also known as cultural imperialism? 

Colonialism is when countries take over "undiscovered lands" and claim them as their own.

2) Now look at the second page. What is postcolonialism? 

Post colonialism is the time after colonialism ended. The most popular definition in the UK is the time after India gaining independence as with India being its biggest colony, this was seen as the end of colonialism.

3) How does Paul Gilroy suggest postcolonialism influences British culture?

Gilroy believes that post-colonialism had a negative impact on British culture as people couldnt get used to not being a global superpower which led to them having a hatred towards people of different backgrounds.

4) What is 'othering'?

Othering is the idea that something is different to us due to it being different to our social norms, people considered as othered are displaced and left out of the dominant social group.

5) What examples of 'othering' are provided by the article?

The example of othering given is the othering of British immigrants from British society which was used by politicians such as Farage to gain popularity through hate.

6) What is 'double consciousness'? 

The feeling of not fitting in with either your own culture or the culture of the country you live in.

7) What are 'racial hierarchies'?

Racial hierarchies is an idea heavily established postcolonialism and is the idea that some races are better than others.

8) What examples from recent media products challenge the idea of racial hierarchies? 

In Brooklyn 99 there's an episode where one of the lead characters is racially profiled by another police officer who is white and believes he has power over him. However, he later finds out he is a detective which is higher in the police hierarchy and challenges the idea that white people are better than people of colour as he manages to get justice for what happened.

Advertising: David Gauntlett and masculinity

1) What examples does Gauntlett provide of the "decline of tradition"?

Women no longer seen as house wives now seen as having 'Girl power' and the idea of men being masculine and tough is being removed and replaced by the idea that men should have emotions and be allowed to express themselves.

2) How does Gauntlett suggest the media influences the way we construct our own identities?

The media helps construct our identities by making people feel lie they need to decide what their identity and lifestyle will be through the use of TV and magazines. People consciously and subconsciously pick things out from these products and implement them into their personality/lifestyle. 

3) What does Gauntlett suggest regarding generational differences? Is it a good thing that the media seems to promote modern liberal values?

Gauntlett claims that the promotion of liberal values in the media is a good thing for young people but he doesn't think the effects of it are seen in older age groups. Older age groups don't consume the media in the same way and are stuck with older views such as traditional gender roles and homophobia which aren't a part of liberal ideology.

4) Why does Gauntlett suggest that masculinity is NOT in crisis?

He claims masculinity is not in a crisis and is just evolving and adapting to modern demands; he believes men are failing to modernise/keep up with the new demands. 

5) Does advertising still reinforce the "conventionally rugged, super-independent, extra-strong macho man" that Gauntlett discusses? Offer examples for both sides of the argument from the wider advertising industry.

Advertising still promotes the idea of strong men but the way in which they do it has changed. The same example of an advert can be used to explain this as in Stormzy's H.I.T.H concert poster hes shown as being a physically strong man but the idea of the macho man extends into men's emotions which weren't shown in advertising before. Despite this, Stormzy is seen to have his head down ad look hurt/sad which isn't part of the traditional macho man idea but more so part of the new ideology which wasn't widely accepted in the media in the past. This shows that brave men are still being portrayed in media but the idea of what a brave masculine man is has evolved.

6) Gauntlett discusses the idea of 'girl power' and offers examples from music and film. Does advertising provide evidence to support the idea of 'girl power' or is the industry still reinforcing traditional representations of men and women?

Women are being told by the media that they need to be independent and do what they want but they're still being told that they need to adhere to the unrealistic beauty standards seen in advertising and other media which has a negative impact on them and takes away from the idea of girl power.

7) Do you agree with Gauntlett's argument under 'Popular feminism, women and men' where he suggests that younger generations are not threatened by traditional gender roles and are comfortable with social changes? Does advertising provide examples either reinforcing or challenging this idea that younger generations are more comfortable with changing gender roles?

The new generation of men are being brought up to see women as equals in society and don't feel threatened by this social change because its what they were taught and what they've seen their entire lives. This can be seen in advertising such as the Gillette 'The best a man can be' advertising campaign which portrayed men as being masculine but also redefines what masculinity is, making it a good thing which benefits everyone in society rather than toxic and harmful to women.

8) What examples from advertising does Gauntlett provide for the changing nature of gender in society (from the section on Judith Butler's Gender trouble)?

CK one fragrance advert shows a change in the nature of gender as it promotes the idea of men and women being similar as they're both able to use the same fragrance. 

9) Why is advertising such a good example of the 'contradictory elements' that Gauntlett discusses with regards to the mass media? In other words, how does advertising continue to both reinforce and challenge gender stereotypes?

There is an enormous range of media products available so its difficult to say whether they all reinforce or subvert from gender stereotypes as theyre all made by different companies and by people with different ideas/life experiences.

10) Finally, Gauntlett makes a clear case that things change and modern identities are increasingly fluid. What is your opinion on this debate - do you agree that the media reinforces the changing attitudes towards gender and sexuality in society?

I believe media has a very important role in impacting the way gender and sexuality is seen in society and people consume so much media in their day to day life and are guaranteed to be impacted by it whether its conscious or subconscious. However i also believe there are other influences which could be considered more important such as lived experiences and the people in their lives. This is because some people have grown up seeing/being taught that they're better than women or that men are better than them which will stick with them throughout their lives as we learn everything at a young age and its much more difficult to change this as we get older.

Media Magazine: Andrew Tate - Masculinity in crisis?

1) What is misogyny and how does it link to Andrew Tate?

Misogyny is the dislike,contempt or prejudice against women. It links to Andre Tate because he promotes the idea of a strong man and claims to be a misogynist who thinks women belong at home,cant drive and given to a man in marriage which implies they're an object.

2) How does the article suggest Andrew Tate used social media to build up his reputation and following?

He uses social media to post clips of his lifestyle and his ideas to gain a large younger audience.

3) Does Andrew Tate's popularity suggest there is in fact a 'crisis in masculinity' - disagreeing with David Gauntlett's view?

It could indicate that there is a crisis as it shows that young men are being impacted by these more traditional ideas and aren't adapting to new ideologies.