Blog Magazine

Esquire Magazine Experiments with May Cover

With its February issue Esquire magazine hid an ad on the cover. For May the men's magazine is experimenting again, this time with three perforated covers that can be separated into three horizontal strips. Turning the three perforations over will create different images including actor George Clooney and President Obama; the issue's them is "How to Be a Man."

Michelle Obama to Appear on People Magazine

On the heels of her Vogue magazine cover, First Lady Michelle Obama will also appear on tomorrow's People magazine cover. The fashion community is keeping a close watch on Mrs. Obama's fashion choices; for the People cover Mrs. Obama picked a pink lace dress from New York City-based Tracy Reese, a fashion designer known for her relatively affordable clothing line.

Hallmark Cards Folds Hallmark Magazine

Hallmark Cards will shutter its Hallmark magazine with the February/March issue, currently on newsstands. The companion Web site also will shut down.  The story is a familiar one--though the bimonthly magazine has charted a rapid growth, the title faced major advertising competition from other lifestyle magazines like Real Simple and Martha Stewart Living.

ReadyMade Magazine Faces Identity Crisis with Staff Relocation

Even though its co-founder said ad revenue for the hip Bay Area-based 8-year-old DIY magazine was increasing each month over the past two years and circulation was holding steady, ReadyMade magazine's New York parent company, Meredith Corp., publishers of Ladies' Home Journal and Better Homes and Gardens, decided to relocate staffers to Des Moines, Iowa. As the San Francisco Chronicle reports, the relocation is a major concern for the cultural identity of the magazine, which is an integral part of the Urban Ore/East Bay Depot for Creative Resuse Neighborhood.

American Magazine Conference Cancelled

Magazine Publishers of America, the magazine industry's lobbying organization, cancelled its annual meeting, the American Magazine Conference, scheduled for October. In the conference's place the MPA will schedule an event in New York; the date is to be determined. MPA officials said the decision to cancel the conference was due to the difficult economic times.

Who Will Make People Magazine's Annual Oscar Issue?

It's time for the 81st annual Academy Awards on Sunday and we can't wait to see who comes up winners and losers--in fashion.It may be a little shallow of us but we'll be looking out for this year's best and worst dressed and wondering if anyone will top the elegance of Halle Berry's sweeping gown with strategically-placed flowers for her 2002 Best Actress win or if anyone will trump the atrocity of singer Bjork's tragic fluffy swan dress from 2001. Next week we'll be looking to People magazine's annual double issue for the results.

Atlantic Magazine Publishes Four Different Covers for March Issue

With its March 2009 issue, The Atlantic magazine has published four distinct versions of its cover, customized for specific metro areas. This is just the latest experiment for The Atlantic; recently the magazine revealed a major website and magazine redesign and last fall it introduced a marketing campaign to attract new readers.

Despite Weak Market New Home Magazine Launched

Despite the home magazine market being one of the toughest and hardest hit lately--Conde Nast recently shuttered Domino; Hearst closed O at Home; Meredith closed Country Home; and last year Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia shuttered Blueprint--Reader's Digest Association's latest magazine launch is Fresh Home, a quarterly home improvement title on newsstands next week. Fresh Home will target budget-

conscious, DIY-focused readers and feature advertisers like IKEA and Benjamin Moore. RDA publishes eight U.S. magazines including Reader's Digest, Every Day with Rachael Ray, Backyard Living and Birds & Blooms and is expected to launch another title Best You later this year.

GQ Magazine Names Timberlake Most Stylish Man in America

For its"10 Most Stylish Men in America" March issue GQ magazine singled out entertainer Justin Timberlake as the number one most stylish man in America.  Timberlake launched a clothing line called William Rast several years ago. As GQ noted, Timberlake's personal style often includes trendsetting pieces like hats, three-piece suits, skinny ties and beards. Other "Stylish Men" on the list include Kanye West, T.I. and actor Jason Schwartzman.

StyleWatch Magazine Adds New Editorial Feature: Text Message Codes

StyleWatch, a spin-off of People magazine is incorporating a new feature in its March issue--text messaging. StyleWatch's editorial focus is showing readers how to copy celebrity styles on a budget. With the new text messaging feature, a text code will appear next to each item so that readers can text to get links to a retailer's site. Text codes will appear for 93 items initially. StyleWatch will collect info on readers’ likes and dislikes and be able to reassure advertisers that readers are still shopping.