Can one mag appeal to “all men”?
Posted in Media, Nikki Preston, Latest reporters' blogs September 19th, 2007 by Nikki Preston
If you are one of the 500,000 ABC1 men that the merchandisers in blue will be homing in on to give a copy of ShortList to – then brace yourself for some strange looks on the tube as it is sure to make you chuckle during your commute to work.
Although the individual content of the magazine isn’t breaking any particular new ground – the overall result is a quirky and humorous read, which leaves you feeling surprisingly refreshed.
Whether it is imagining yourself applying the James Bond mentality to obstacles in everyday life, laughing at the ten most unrealistic workplaces on TV or agreeing with ShortList’s list of most underrated sports cars – I can guarantee at least one of the hundreds of topics crammed in the magazine will be sure to grab your interest even if it’s only for a few short minutes.
Newcomers Guardian writer Sam Delaney and comedian Danny Wallace are among the names they plan to use to draw in readers, along with guest appearances by a number of celebrities including Jonah Lomu who shares his top ten favourite rugby moves.
Information with ‘the top ten of’….pretty much anything supports the on-going ‘list’ theme in the magazine will certainly give men something to snack on, however the proof will be in the pudding as to whether it is substantial enough to make it home with the reader for a ‘so-called’ second read.
The most refreshing thing about ShortList is the lack of ‘tits and arse’ content, a brave move only slightly diluted by the inclusion of a photo shoot of ex-model Dior Baird lying seductively across a double spread page.
The first ever edition of ShortList also includes a first ever ‘exclusive’ picture of Robert De Niro and Al Pacino together, which looks like it has cheekily been snapped on-set on a camera phone.
In short, the new freesheet is certainly a creative attempt at reviving the depreciating men’s market and because they are casting out such a large net, I am sure they will at least manage to pull in a few schools of fish.
To read the news story related to this blog, go to mad.co.uk
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Thorntonperry’s comment is....
I heard a brilliant interview on the radio about this. Apparently the test of any lads’ mag is how long it can avoid putting a scantily dressed z-lister on the cover. This has been refered to as the “Titmuss test”.
Posted November 7th, 2007 at 1:43 pm
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