Time Inc. moves to allow ”ads” on the covers of Time and Sports Illustrated. At this point the ad format is unobtrusive so the integrity and art of the cover isn’t threatened but there’s always the slippery slope.
The magazine cover remains one of the few ”media spaces” that is void of advertising and one could argue it is a differentiation that continues to hold-up the value of the magazine. The magazine cover has long been an art form. I am not ashamed to say I get a little giddy standing in front of a newsstand with the expertly crafted mag covers from Time, Arch Digest, Economist, Dwell, the New Yorker, Vanity Fair, Garden & Gun and many others staring back at me. It would be a shame to lose this ”public art” and one of the most powerful features of magazine media.
Be careful magazines. Please!
The Print Observer - Newspaper & Magazine Advertising Insights 