Magazine Industry Launches Campaign To Promote Power of Magazines.

The consumer magazine industry will unveil an advertising campaign February 28, touting magazines’ key strength: the enduring power to engage readers, it was announced today by Nina Link, President and CEO, Magazine Publishers of America (MPA). The $40-million, three-year multimedia campaign, which features both print and online components, was produced by Fallon New York and supported by executives from magazine publishers and allied industries that work closely with magazines. The campaign’s goal is to catapult magazines to a place where they are universally recognized for their value and contribution to advertising plans.

“Advertisers want their messages to reach consumers when they are fully receptive to advertising. Magazine readers see the ads as an important part of the magazine experience and they are responsive—bringing the advertiser increased ROI on their media purchase,” said Jack Kliger, President & CEO, Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S., who has been one of the key leaders of the industry’s rally to promote the strengths of the medium. “At a time when advertisers are reevaluating their media mix, the magazine industry is behind a strong push to deliver this positive message.”

The campaign, which targets advertisers and media decision-makers, features ads that depict readers in an unexpected place—the future. It offers a two-pronged creative approach. The core campaign portrays shots of consumers reading magazines in imagined everyday futuristic scenes. The other approach features magazine covers several decades into the future. The tagline “Read On” reinforces the message that no matter how things change, people will always look for the personal connection magazines present.

“The campaign plays on the idea that in an increasingly complicated world, with even more media disruptions and an impersonal, high-tech, digital landscape, consumers continue to choose magazines,” said Ms. Link. “It demonstrates the enduring power of magazines to captivate readers.”

The core campaign will run in advertising and trade media press, trade media websites and newsletters, national newspapers (The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal), and MPA-member magazines. Additional media will be evaluated later in the year.