1. A Case Study
on…
MOJO

2. General Information
MOJO magazine is a British music magazine that mainly focuses
on classic rock acts such as The Beatles and Bob Dylan, as well
as contemporary rock bands such as The White Stripes and
Radiohead. It was first published in November 1993 by the
media company EMAP, and its first editor was Paul Du Noyer.
MOJO is released on a monthly basis, and it has a circulation of
nearly 95,000. MOJO’s in depth analysis’ and style of writing
was the main inspiration for other rock music publications, such
as Uncut and Blender, though MOJO itself was inspired by the
decorum of Q magazine.

3. Target Audience
The target audience of MOJO magazine is for intelligent and
intellectual male rock music fans, though the age group of this
target audience can vary, in the same way that the magazine
varies from having classic rock bands on the cover, alongside
neutral colours and sensible looking fonts, to having a brand
new rock band on the front, with vivid colours and striking
fonts. The audience can reminisce on old times by reading
about older artists like Pink Floyd and The Rolling Stones, or
perhaps they might be looking for fresh music to listen to, such
as Arcade Fire or Tame Impala.

4. Content
The content of MOJO is detailed and extensive; it consist of many ‘Best of’
lists, combining old artists and new ones, it always has reviews of new artists
and their albums, as well as interviews with them. The editors also invite a
range of old and new artists to discuss their tastes in music. Towards the end
of the issue, there will tend to be a lot of promotion for artists, such as
festival/concert dates, a list of useful ticket websites, in addition to adverts
of upcoming music albums. MOJO occasionally has ‘special edition’ issues;
these are mainly focused around the history, future, as well as interesting
and previously unknown information about an artist. These special issues are
jam packed with interviews from the artists, and there can be freebies
added in the pack, such as a bonus CD from an album, or music video DVD.

5. Style
MOJO’s style is an interesting blend of the conservative solidity and formality that is
seen in Q magazine, with added colloquial edge that can make it appealing to slightly
younger audiences. The colours used tend to be a powerful, simple, yet contrasting
mixture of black, red and white. These colours help make all text readable but
intriguing, and they make images see-able. They also illustrate the aim at the male
gender. Special issues tend to have more vivid and lively colours, generally depending
on the special occasion, e.g. an explosive orange to coincide with the 30th
anniversary of David Bowie’s album ‘Low’, or a multi-coloured cover to celebrate the
release of Radiohead’s ‘In Rainbows’ album. The striking covers also emphasise the
exclusivity of the issues. The fonts used tend to be solid and bold, emphasising the
emphasis on the male gender, but due to the fact that they remain sensible looking
indicate that the magazine is for more intellectual readers. MOJO tends to have a
50/50 split between images and texts; it doesn’t lean to one particular side, proving
that the magazine is for a mixture of older and younger men.

6. Mode of Address
MOJO’s mode of address is like the style; a reasonable
combination of formal and colloquial. The editors will use
sophisticated and startling metaphors in conjunction with
witty adjectives and a smooth flow of words. But to keep the
younger readers interested, a subtle swear word or
contemporary simile or personification will be thrown in
amidst the ocean of literal immaculacy, but there will never
be a brash rampage of insane vulgarity similar to one found in
Kerrang! magazine. The texts end up looking like an
exchange of information from one passionate music fan to
another.

7. MOJO magazine is
‘In Rainbows’ to
celebrate the
release of
Radiohead’s new
masterpiece…

8. “Red, white and black is
the most powerful colour
combination of all time.”
~ Jack White