Creating the Masthead Name

Masthead Title Ideas

Independent- Indie stemmed from Independent Record Label, therefore this is an appropriate title

Independence- The same as the previous title, though connotes how the audience are independent, rather than the magazine itself being independent.

Before it's cool- There is a stereotype that people who and interested in Indie music always say 'I liked it before it was cool', therefore they can relate to the title.

Indy- An adaptation of the word 'Indie', which could be seen as 'cool' to the youth.

Bridge- A guitar part. This is quite boring and could be interpreted as an architecture magazine.

Knobs and Switch- More guitar parts. This would be targeted towards males as there could be a sense of sexualisation concerning the magazine.

Reverb- An effect on amplifiers. I really like this masthead, as most Indie people, especially those who play an instrument, are educated when it comes to amplifiers and guitars.

Snare- A drum part. This is a catchy title and has a certain sense of onomatopoeia.

Systemised Failure- Though this is catchy, it is probably not appropraite as it is a negative approach.

Blank Canvas- People interested in this music are stereotyped to also be very interested in art, therefore should appeal to the target audience.

Heterodox- The opposite to mainstream, exactly what the target audience want to be.

Bernard's Wolf- This is a type of wolf, an animal which a lot of Indie people favour. The 'Bernard' of this sounds quite random.

Pandora- This is not particularly appropriate, but is a song, therefore the audience could be attracted to this. The problem is that I will probably not being allowed to use it due the copyright infringement.

Redefine- Being Indie, in some cases, is about redefining yourself. The readers who have done this will be drawn in by the title, and could also interpret it as the magazine redefining the music industry.

Nonconformist- This is what Indie people stereotypically aspire to be, purposely going out of their way to ensure they do not conform to the mass crowd.

Nonconformist Before it was Cool- A combined title of two of the previous, working well together. This could be too long for a masthead, and would be difficult

Obscurity- Again, against the mainstream scene, appealing to the specifically chosen target audience.

Wasted- Indies stereotypically come out during the night to have fun, and get drunk a lot.

Chasing our Monsters- a lot of people who like Indie are associated with a certain sadness, therefore will understand this title

Black Wolf- Again, an animal favored by Indie people, though this is more catchy and simplistic than the other wolf title.

Mastheads that do not work:

Chasing our Monsters

Wasted

Snare

Pandora

Heterodox

Indy

Systemised Failure

Independent

Independence

Bridge

Knobs and Switch

Bernard's Wolf

Nonconformist Before it was Cool

Mastheads that work:

Black Wolf- This is simplistic, relating to the stereotyped audiences interests. I really love this as a masthead, as it has a certain mysterious quality which hangs over it. Unlike the other masthead names, this is a two-word title, which I prefer to the one word.

Redefine- As a connotation of redefining oneself, the audience, who are likely to feel somewhat insecure, will find this appealing, as they would want to change to feel better about themselves.

Reverb- This is one of my favourite mastheads, though I feel as though it sounds slightly more like a rock magazine title, rather than Indie, which could be a problem concerning the attraction of the correct target audience.

Blank Canvas- As I stated before, this is artsy and appeals to those who enjoy art as well as Indie music, a common stereotype of Indie people. The problem with this is that it is obvious that not all of the target audience appreciate art, therefore might think that it is an art magazine.

Obscurity- Against the mainstream genre of music, this title is able to attract the reader through their own lifestyle and how they chose to be. Though not everyone, especially the younger part of the audience, knows the meaning of this word, and so they would feel daunted by it.

Adaptations

Grey Wolf

Re:define

Dire Wolf

Lone Wolf

Re:verb

Chosen Masthead:
BLACK WOLF

The reasoning for deciding to use this particular title as my masthead is varied; the most prominent is because it is obscure, something of which people who take interest in Indie music culture. They are stereotypically obscure and mysterious themselves, accepting that representation with pride in most cases. Wolves are a commonly stereotyped animal to be considered popular amongst people who are part of the Indie scene. The animal can be seen on various different clothing in various different stores around the country, as it is part of indie fashion, and fashion is considered to be what a large part of being indie is about. Though this is my favoured title out of the list, the connotations associated with the lexis 'black' is a potential problem. It is slightly more aimed towards the genres of rock and metal as it is a dark word, but the way in which the masthead is produced and other features on the magazine will balance any problems like this out.