Loaded Celebrates Tenth Birthday With Advertising Push
Iconic men’s lifestyle magazine Loaded will this month celebrate its tenth birthday with a series of advertising campaigns, special issues and outrageous stunts to mark a decade of its existence.
Hailed as the very first lads mag, Loaded first hit news stands in 1994 with its then innovative mix of glamorous girls and ‘down-the-pub’ humour. Emap soon followed IPC’s move, emulating the trademark boobs and booze formula and releasing its own take on the men’s magazine market in the form of FHM.
The latest round of ABC results show that both FHM and Loaded are in gradual decline, losing 3.1% and 9.3% respectively in the three months to December 2003 compared with the same period in the previous year.
However, staff at Loaded remain upbeat, with editor Martin Daubney stating: “Loaded is the best magazine I have ever put my name to. This birthday marks the start of a new era for us and we are only going to get bigger, stronger and better than ever before.”
He added: “Everyone who has made Loaded what it is today is gonna have the biggest knees-up yet when we all get together to celebrate our big tenth birthday.”
Loaded’s celebrations will centre around a special edition of the magazine, packaged in bags containing the magazine and several promotional covermounts. The special issue will contain features highlighting the most bizarre and extraordinary events in the magazine’s history along with several advertorials from the Jordan Grand Prix team and Right Guard Xtreme deoderant.
The issue goes on sale on 7 April and will be backed by an outdoor advertising campaign featuring covergirl Michelle Marsh, appearances and magazine signings by cover girls in major train stations, as well as a yet undisclosed set of stunts. The climax of the campaign will be a glittering celebrity birthday bash in London’s West End.
Last month IPC Ignite, the music and men’s magazine division of Loaded owner IPC, appointed Victoria Smith to the role of cross-media solutions manager. Smith’s role is primarily to forge new partnerships for the IPC Ignite brands and to push them forward in an increasingly competitive market (see IPC Ignite! Appoints New Cross-Media Manager).
IPC’s latest foray into the men’s market is the weekly Nuts magazine. The title was launched amid a multi-million pound advertising campaign but has seen stiff competition from Emap’s rival publication Zoo Weekly and has yet to grab the top spot (see NewsLine Column: Going Nuts For Men’s Weeklies?).
IPC Media: 0870 4445000 www.ipcmedia.com
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