Mens Health

How does the men’s health persuade the target audience to buy their magazine, both
through the text and visual portrayal of the cover?

“Men’s Health” a multi-modal magazine about nutrition in the UK in April 2020. The magazine
cover aims to persuade middle-aged men to buy their magazine and raises their masculinity to
the conventional male standard. Middle-aged men assume they no longer have the physical
capabilities to bodybuild, however, this magazine cover motivates them to exercise in the hope
of improving their health. Hence, this magazine cover purpose is to illustrate that hopeful
fantasy and persuade them to buy the magazine. Men’s health effectively portrays the purpose
by using persuasive techniques, visual techniques and word choice.
Men’s Health employs persuasive techniques such as alliteration to persuade readers to buy the
magazine. For example, the cover writes “Arms and Abs”, the sound created by the first
consonance creates a fluid reading experience and entices the readers to buy the magazine.
The teaser “THE BOLD TRUTH ABOUT HAIR LOSS” arouses the interest of the target
audience; there may be some middle-aged men who have problem with hair loss, which
happens quite often in middle-aged men. This makes the magazine more appealing to
middle-aged men and persuades them to buy the magazine as if they have the answer behind
their hair loss. Furthermore, the simile “WAYS TO DO STYLE LIKE A GROWN UP” connotes a
sense of immaturity and emasculation of their target audience. The connotation makes them
question their own identity as if they are inferior to men portrayed in the magazine cover. The
message persuades middle-aged men to buy the magazine in the hope of finding a solution to
their inferior masculinity. However, the implication in this message is ironic because their target
audience is not young but older men, so telling them to be like a ‘GROWN UP’ just further the
suspicion of the claims within the magazine. Additionally, the enumeration in “Get Shredded In 6
Easy Steps” or “Scorch Flab 24 Hrs A Day'' accentuates and exaggerates the efficiency in
getting a toned muscular physique. The enumeration effect persuades the target audience to
buy the magazine by igniting their hopes of getting this body shape as quickly as possible.
Enumeration of the short steps or time period to achieve their ideal body is especially effective
when the target audience is middle-aged men because the effect of old-age is starting to
present itself physically. Thus, the target audience is much more motivated to buy the
magazine.
Secondly, Men’s Health uses visual techniques, for example, colour to connote masculinity and
aggressiveness. The editors use a pale grey background contrasts with a bright red colour title
to convey aggressiveness towards the target audience. Red also connotes danger, power and
domination, which traditionally are associated with masculinity. The Triadic colour scheme uses
the three primary colours: red (title), blue (pants) and yellow (bottom circle); the colour choice
connotes masculine superiority because the colours chosen are ‘primary’ colours as if men are
primary or superior to the other sex. In colour theory, primary colours are the fundamental
colours that create other secondary colours such as orange, purple or green. The traditional
masculine attitude of superiority over women is presented to persuade middle-aged men (who
are born in the era when men’s superiority is the highest) to buy the magazine as a way to
resurface their inner traditional masculinity that has been hidden by recent awareness to gender
equality. The typography and font style is used effectively to convey a sense of strength and
boldness. The capital letters and thick font style anchors the rigid muscles on Kane’s body, this
further emphasises the traditional masculinity which is associated with aggression and male
How does the men’s health persuade the target audience to buy their magazine, both
through the text and visual portrayal of the cover?
superiority. Middle-aged men are able to relate with the traditional masculine representation and
it creates an urge to buy the magazine.
Thirdly, Men’s Health utilises persuasive word choices such as direct imperatives: “The Only 4
Exercise You Need For Any Body You Want” the attention to personal needs within the
sentence, implies that there will be support and personalised training for the middle-aged men.
The direct address to the target audience helps the middle-aged men to feel relief because they
know that their own ideal body image is considered in the making of the exercises within the
magazine. The inclusivity and thoughtfulness towards the target audience are evident by the
use of direct imperatives, hence, this effect increases the trustworthiness of the magazine -
persuading middle-aged men to buy the magazine. Finally, the appeal to health benefits from
the headline “The Nutrition Issue”, especially the word ‘Nutrition’ convinces middle-aged men
that muscle building and exercise are not just for aesthetic appeal but beneficial to their ageing
health. Middle-aged men are likely to worry about their health due to their increasing old age.
Thus, persuasion using health benefits outweighs using aesthetic appeal for persuasion to buy
the magazine. The appeal to health benefits from the exercise within the magazine effectively
convinces the target audience to buy the magazine.
In conclusion, the Men’s Health magazine featuring Aldo Kane effectively persuades
middle-aged men to buy the magazine by the use of persuasive techniques such as alliteration,
teasers, simile and enumeration. In addition, Men’s Health uses visual techniques such as
triadic colour scheme and bold typography to accentuate masculinity to appeal to older
generation men to buy the magazine. Men’s Health also uses persuasive word diction such as
direct imperatives and words that appeal to health benefits in order to attract their target
audience to buy the magazine. Overall, Men’s Health seeks to profit and capitalise on
middle-aged men’s ideal body fantasies by making hopeful and unrealistic muscle training
journalism.

Mens Health

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Mens Health

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Mens Health

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

How does the men’s health persuade the target audience to buy their magazine, both

through the text and visual portrayal of the cover?

You might also like