Nobu launches a magazine
As more traditional magazines like InStyle and Marie Claire exit the print market amid declining advertising revenues, a new player is entering the market.
Nobu, the trendy restaurant and hotel chain founded by Nobu Matsuhisa, Robert De Niro and Meir Teper, is launching an eponymous magazine later this year in partnership with Nobleman Magazine’s custom publishing division, which is seeing an increase hotel activities.
The first issue of the quarterly magazine will be published in June and distributed to participating Nobu restaurants and hotels worldwide, as well as available for purchase by subscription, with editor-in-chief Kara Studzinski joking that when “customers have to wait 30 minutes even if they have a reservation at Nobu Malibu, they’ll have something fun to read.
At last count, Nobu has 27 hotels open and announces 47 restaurants.
Commenting on the venture, Trevor Horwell, CEO of Nobu Hospitality, said, “We are delighted to announce an exciting new partnership with Nobleman Magazine and to launch the first edition of our very own Nobu Magazine. Available at all Nobu hotels worldwide, the magazine will give readers exclusive access to the world of Nobu Hospitality, as well as editorial content covering food, travel and style.
Branded magazines grew in popularity as a marketing tool in 2019, with retailer Uniqlo, dating app Bumble, fashion platform Ssense and golf equipment company Callaway, among others, all entering. on the market. They joined fashion site Net-a-porter, sneaker resale company Goat, home rental marketplace Airbnb and luggage brand Away, which had previously launched magazines.
For brands, these magazines weren’t so much about revenue as they were about engagement, seen as a way to build a deeper connection with a company’s audience, as well as reach new consumers. But since the start of the pandemic, the picture has been mixed. Of the 10 brands WWD contacted in a 2021 survey, half (Airbnb, Away, Bumble, Goop and Net-a-porter) had ceased print production for the time being, while the other five (Goat, Maapilim, Ssense, Tracy Anderson and Uniqlo) are still doing well, finding that having a magazine in print is a positive and useful extension of their brand. —KATHRYN HOPKINS
The Return of Butt Magazine
Thanks to Bottega Veneta, Butt magazine is relaunched next month.
Ten years after its last paper issue, the quarterly magazine founded in 2001 for homosexuals and edited by Gert Jonkers and Jop van Bennekom, returns with its 30th issue and the Italian luxury brand as sole advertiser.
“As a brand, sometimes you want to support something you just believe in and love – Butt Magazine is one of those things,” a Bottega Veneta spokesperson said. “It has meaning for many who work for Bottega Veneta, who grew up with the magazine and loved its cheeky view of the world. For many of us, no matter where we grew up on the globe, we felt at home. We hope he can do the same for a new generation.”
The show will be celebrated with a pre-launch at a Bottega Veneta and Butt cocktail and dinner at the Palais de Tokyo on March 3, during Paris Fashion Week.
The magazine will then go on sale at a Bottega Veneta and Butt K67 kiosk set up by Slovenian industrial designer Saša J. Mächtig in the modern and contemporary art building for three days, with early visitors receiving a special Butt x Bottega Veneta edition. T-shirt. The 100-page magazine will then be available in other selected stores around the world and can be ordered online.
In addition, a Butt party will be organized in the French capital on March 4, in collaboration with the Parisian team Mustang, with DJ sets by Juan Ramos, DJ Pareja and Kiddy Smile. Bottega Veneta has also confirmed launch events in London from March 10-17 at Shreeji Bookstore and April 7 in Los Angeles.
The magazine will continue to be in its signature pink color, stapled and held in one hand, returning to provide a candid platform for “a queer community on the move,” according to a statement from Butt. “Butt’s surprise revival this spring kicks off a new conversation centered around cross-community solidarity and sexual freedom. While queer visibility may be at an all-time high, Butt’s candid cross-generational dialogues about contemporary life and love have been sorely missed over the past 10 years.
Articles included in the issue range from a story about French film actor Félix Maritaud to an interview with hairstylist Holli Smith. It includes poetry and diaries, the work of artists Ajamu X and Sunil Gupta, and an interview by artist AA Bronson with transgender adult actor Billy Vega, among other items.
The cover was photographed by American photographer Clifford Prince King.
This is one of the first stages of marketing and communication under the direction of creative director Matthieu Blazy, who took over from Daniel Lee last November and who will present his first creations for the brand on February 26 during Fashion Week. from Milano.
Under its predecessor, Bottega Veneta deleted its official Instagram account last year and other social media, also erasing its Weibo account – which had 270,000 followers – and other feeds. He then explored another way to engage with his collaborators and global audience with a new visually-focused digital journal called Issue, which will be published four times a year. It is understood that the matter is being developed by the company. — LUISA ZARGANI
Comments are closed.