thecages

I've been ripped off(recently again) about my kak taste in magazines. I totally don't agree.
Yes, Anita and I do buy heat every now and again and will buy Vanity Fair whenever it's not ridiculously overpriced(as recently in Washington).
But even higher on my wishlist of magazine subscriptions is The New Yorker - snooty, I know, but the cartoons are unrivaled.

But I will freely admit to buying crap magazines, not because they offer the greatest read(uhm, heat[1]), but because they are interesting mega-media products. And having a spouse in media makes for an interesting view into the mechanics of the magazine business in South Africa.

Recently there's been blood on the streets over a pair of new magazines launching in the hot-hot new-new heat-for-guys segment.
An independent publisher (World Report Media) announced recently that it would publish a weekly mens' magazine named Krew(sic).
Upper Case Media (publisher of uber-SA-lad-mag FHM) immediately responded by announcing their own(bi-lingual[2]) mens' weekly entitled Zoo(much better than Krew).


In order to get to market before the first issue of Krew(apparently due within a week or two) FHM have bundled a hastily slapped together free issue(pilot?) of Zoo with this month's FHM. Combine this with the addition of a lingerie special and some free deo and you have a pop-media juggernaut on your supermarket shelves. Hell yes, I bought it[3].




FHM is still the same old juvie hangout[4] and the lingerie special is dissapointing to say the least[5] - so what about Zoo?
The fact is that in format it's an exact heat clone, the layout, the word count, the celeb shots - just with more boobs and less cellulite.

Sample articles includes an in-depth(yeah, right) profile of Survivor South Africa hottie Brigitte Willers[6] and an homage piece on The(ultra-macho) Hoff.



One thing that I found interesting about Zoo is how much prime space it devotes to gaming[9]. It gives up four of the first 13 pages to it. The rest are devoted solely to chicks[10], apart from a two-page spread on the new Mercedes SLR.


So, will it sell? I think it depends on how good Krew is. Zoo is definitely lad-mag lite and there's actually very little to read in it. It seems to be taking at totally opposite approach to UK magazines like Stuff and Loaded.
But, it does work for heat and who knows, probably many okes are just as vapid as their girlfriends who religiously buy heat.


Music: AC/DC - High Voltage - AC/DC Alive Disc 2

[1] Anita's best estimate for heat's word count is around 3000; that's around 115 words per non-advertising page.
[2] Now you'll be able to ckeck out the cherries' boobs in Afrikaans ook ouens.
[3] Just to get a look at Zoo, you know, nothing to do with the booty on the front and back covers.
[4] Including all-time favourite FHM crew member, Captain Beer
[5] Lots of skin, zero individual identity
[6] Brigitte Willers, 24, is a sports model[7] who grew up in Ermelo and now lives in Auckland Park, Johannesburg. Brigitte was named the FHM model of the year in 2005 and voted the 56th sexiest woman in the world by readers of the magazine[8] this year.
[7] i.e. does magazine swimsuit shoots - cannot get onto a real fashion shoot
[8] That is, she was voted the 56th sexiest woman in the world by readers of South African FHM. UK FHM readers don't have a clue who she is.
[9] Xbox360 has a monopoly. Can you say 'Ad-spend'?
[10] I shit you not