Lifestyle Magazines Revamp In Bid To Put Out Trash
Emap’s cult lifestyle title, The Face is to get its first new look in ten years, with a comprehensive re-design, following similar changes at IPC’s Wallpaper* title.
The shake up at the style titles follows Condé Nast’s decision to join forces with the Ministry Of Sound to launch a new consumer lifestyle magazine called Trash (see Condé Nast Teams Up With Ministry To Launch Trash).
The July issue of The Face will feature a new design masterminded by by Lee Swillingham and Stuart Spalding. According to Emap, The Face is returning to its roots: “Since the first issue in 1980, The Face has celebrated all that’s new and exciting in pop culture. Now The Face is returning to those defining values and moving them on to the next level.”
The July issue will also feature a special Face Movements supplement, which celebrates the heritage and influence of The Face over the last 23 years. The special supplement will be supported by Levi’s 501 and cover 16 cult movements which built British style, from Grunge to Hip Hop.
IPC’s Wallpaper* magazine has also recently undergone a re-vamp, with a modern feel and new features, including a property section and unisex grooming pages. It will also be boosting its arts coverage with the introduction of a new pin up section, which will feature a different artist each month who will create a unique piece of work to be given away with each issue.
Analysis of circulation figures at The Face and Wallpaper* from January 1998 to December 2002 reveal mixed fortunes in the high end lifestyle market. Wallpaper* rose steadily over the period until the beginning of 2002, while the circulation of The Face fluctuated. Both titles experienced substantial year on year declines in circulation in the six months ending December 2002, with Wallpaper* down 16% year on year to 110,811 and The Face slipping 12.9% to 42,242.
Much has been made of the declining circulations suffered by high end lifestyle magazines over the past year, leading some to question the decision of Condé Nast and Ministry to introduce Trash.
However, many advertisers believe high end lifestyle magazines such as The Face are worth more to advertisers than their relatively low circulation figures reveal. The title trades heavily off its brand kudos, cutting edge position and its relationship to the youthful “opinion formers” marketers are so desperate to reach.
IPC Media: 0870 4445000 www.ipc.co.uk Emap: 01733 568 900 www.emap.co.uk
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