The Power of Print

Getting a tonsillectomy during spring break was not the brightest idea I have ever had. However, I have been able to cope with the fact that I am stuck in a bed, while my peers frolic on beaches and make generally bad decisions, by consoling myself with a few key items: Buckeye Blitz ice cream (if you’ve never heard of it, go buy some!), my adorable puggle Jack, trashy reality television, and an unlimited supply of magazines. 

Yes, magazines. The perfect reading items to flip through when killing time or wishing to read something that doesn’t require too much effort. Oh, and the advertisements-with their glossy photos and occasionally sweet-smelling scratch-and-sniffs- are even fun to look at. Recently, in between reading about Charlie Sheen’s latest antics and learning how to perfect a poof like Snookie’s, I came upon an interesting advertisement in a magazine....for magazines.

The ad caused me to look up just who was behind it. Starting last year, the leaders of 5 major magazines (including Cathie Black from Hearst Magazines and Jack Griffin from Meredith Corporation) joined together to promote a campaign entitled: “Magazines: The Power of Print.” 

While they created a video to introduce this project, the campaign has mainly consisted of page ads like the one that I saw in People. The purpose? To give consumers, and advertisers, faith in the power of magazines and dispel the myth that it is a dying medium. The ads do this not only through engaging language, but through actual statistics, such as that the average readers spends 43 minutes reading a magazine. This kind of information is undoubtedly intriguing for advertisers who may wonder if the investment in print advertising is still worth it. “The Power of Print” campaign proves that it is, while getting readers excited about their product. The prominent magazine publishers have followed a great rule: Stick to what you do best. By keeping the campaign in their medium, they prove just how strong magazines can be.