Adbusters Magazine

Adbusters is a niche magazine aimed at a small target audience that are typically considered to be 'self aware'.

Adbusters set text: Adbusters // Post - West
Published 6 times a year since 1989.
Set edition: May / June 2016.
Price: £10.99.
Circulation 120,000 readership.

Genre: Independent / campaigning / culture jamming
Subtitle: 'Journal of the mental environment'
Based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, Adbusters is a no for-profit magazine fighting back against the hostile takeover of our psychological, physical, and cultural environments by commercial forces.

Culture Jamming:
The practice of criticising and subverting advertising and consumerism in the mass media, by methods such as producing advertisements parodying those of global brands.

ADBUSTERS Cover analysis:

I think that this cover portrays a sense of danger. This is because of the man on the front wearing traditional military gear. This, paired with the look of anger on his face and the subtitle for this magazine: 'The Year Of Living Dangerously Pt. 2" shows that this could be an issue about war. The title of this magazine, Post-West juxtaposes with the man who doesn't look Western could show that he is one of the innocent people from a war-torn country (As a result of the U.S.?) who has been forced into war. I feel that this would explain the title, as 'Post-West' could represent the direct effects that the West has on the rest of the world. It could also say "This is what the world looks like after the West - Read on to find out more.

I think that the title being cryptic means that it is open to interpretation and this therefore means that the Adbusters magazine encourages free thought and wanting the audience to keep their minds open. Readers can create their own opinion, this magazine is created for active audiences instead of passive audiences.

This subverts many conventions - The masthead is a plain white sans serif font clearly visible top of cover, although partially covered by the 'pasted over' effect.

Black background, main image of male in camouflage jacker, angry expression, clenched fist, image partially pasted her - subverts codes of consumer / lifestyle magazines.

Title of this edition is 'POST-WEST' in the same white font as the masthead, dominantly positioned in the lower third of the cover.

Social / political message - image linked to article 'Time for a radical rethink of what is considered a normal life in the 'decadent west'. Also suggesting a link to 'post-truth'.

Front cover image not fully anchored - assumes a level of understanding in the audience.

Front cover lack other conventions e.g. cover lines, price, barcode reflecting the independent and subversive nature of the magazine.

This magazine doesn't follow the typical conventions of a standard magazine. It features different layouts and ideas that aren't typically seen within a magazine, as well as imagery. A pertinent example of this is in the page for drone strikes, featuring imagery of children that have been killed by said strikes. This is a very powerful and somewhat distressing image, and it has this power because it really isn't a common sight to see. This especially will not be seen in major American news sources, meaning if someone