Free!
Half a million copies of new men's magazine ShortList were given away free today to commuters. I took one outside my station for reasons of research, and because I was keen to see what the "new direction in men's publishing" would look like; in other words, a men's magazine without nudity. (This was the promise of publisher Mike Soutar in pre-publicity.) It's certainly different, in that with its matt finish and squat format it feels more like a newspaper supplement than a magazine. And it's free. And will continue to be free, totally funded by advertisers (editor Phil Hilton actually makes this boast in his opening message). I'm not going to review the content at any length, as things aimed at men don't usually speak to me. I'm not particularly interested in any of the following, listed on the cover: SPORT, CARS, BUSINESS or STYLE. Certainly not enough to want to read about them. Also, I have no interest in FINDING MY INNER BOND, which is the chief promise of the Daniel Craig-adorned cover. But then again, what difference does it make if ShortList is being handed out for free? It could have a picture of John Red putting his head in a swing bin and on the cover and the same amount of men would, presumably, take a copy if it was thrust at them. (I wonder if this might be worse in London, since we have two local freesheets, but as I make my way about the place I find myself constantly having papers held out in front of me. These publications may be "free", but it's obviously very important to those advertisers that a certain amount are handed out per day, hence the intrusive nature of those presumably poorly-paid young men and women who actually hand them out, usually in branded kagoules. It's like running the gauntlet in an Indiana Jones film outside some stations. I always try to mutter "No, thanks" and smile as I hold my arms stiffly to my side and brush past the proffered publication, as it's not the vendor's fault.)
Needless to say, as ShortList is designed to be rifled through on the train, or at best in a tea break, it's almost entirely disposable, filled to the brim with lists (geddit?) and things that are short. Most features pages look as busy as the contents spread, with boxes and numbers and bold subtitles everywhere. I admire its lack of tits and arse (there's a lone pin-up of a model in the centre in bra and pants), but once again, since nobody's being asked to pay for it, normal magazine rules don't apply. As long as the requisite number of men take a copy and glance at some of the adverts, it's done its job. It's essentially walking spam. This is the state of publishing today, and I'm glad I got out ten years ago.
What I hate, apart from the death of editorial, is the sheer waste. If its costs nothing, why cherish it? Why keep it? Why not just drop it on the floor? Today's Metro was "wrapped" in an advert for Carphone Warehouse - in other words, it had a false cover, with logo and everything, bought and paid for by said mobile phone shop - and as I approached the platform of the station where commuters pick Metro I had to step over about a dozen of these false covers, which had been disregarded and dropped on the floor, some screwed up into balls, others just left to float to the tarmac. Stupid litterbug behaviour which I despise, and yet ... behaviour elicited by an adverse reaction to the increasingly common confidence trick of one's newspaper being bought out by Carphone Warehouse, as if they own it. The false cover, which was garish pink, didn't prevent anyone from reading their paper, but it was ripped off and cast down in disgust anyway, which is interesting. It's in the same vein as those who gently tip out that sheaf of inserts from a magazine before taking it from the shelf. Naomi Klein would be proud!
Can a revolution be in sight? No. Because the best way to fight back against the rise of the advertisers is to not pick up a copy of the arid Metro in the first place. A big pile of "unsold" papers at the end of the day is the only language Associated Newspapers would understand. Likewise the publishers of ShortList, who are going to have to get rid of a good few hundred thousand copies of their new product every Thursday to convince Michelob, Renault, Goodyear, O2 and Crowne Plaza hotels to keep up the payments. It's in your hands.
posted by Andrew Collins @ 9:47 AM
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I've not looked at this yet, but I saw a load they obviously couldn't give away this morning being loaded into the back of a van.
Having read a piece about how they launched this 'brilliant' idea, it's already annoying me.
I imagine it's another exercise in fur coat and no knickers journalism, by the vain, for the vain. But at the end of the day it's just litter.
I should imagine most, if not all, the advertising is FOC at the moment Andrew
Mistake having a mens publication with the word 'short' in the title too, I'll give it 6 months
Like Monkey Magazine (www.monkeymag.co.uk), you can read a virtual version of ShortList on the web. It's at http://www.shortlist.com/readthis.aspx
A much more environmentally friendly approach! Although obviously no good for people who want to read it on the train mind you...
I pass about 3 'Metro-pushers' on the walk to work, and it's the rather pointless 'Cardiff' edition. They seem to gang up with Big Issue sellers now as well. I always refuse copies, as there's nothing in there that I don't get to know about elsewhere.
'Find your Inner Bond' - that's hilarious. At first it sounds like a search for some sort of internal glue, or maybe an internal therapy session, but the picture of poor old DC gives it away - it is in fact a search for the psychotic killer who still believes in the Cold War, loves gadgets, leers at babes, but can't sustain a relationship - oh yes we've all got one of those inside, and the advertisers love it!
I dodged the ones being forced on me outside the tube, and had a quick look at one of dozens of copies sticking out of a bin. Couldn't find a single thing worth reading - and that's pretty poor for a launch issue, which should have all the editorial staff's best ideas in it.
I pointedly refuse to accept any of the free shite practically hurled at me on my way to Victoria. Metro, London Lite, Shortlist..
Whatever it is, it is uniformally bilge. Designed, I suspect, to send a weary traveller over the edge and go on a murderous ramapage, thereby giving them the biggest headline they'll ever have...
"The London Lite Killer: 917 free paper vendors dead in 3 and half minutes (Victoria main line station only) - Who's to Blame?"
Or something...
I'm not sure they are "free" my marxist critique of Capitalism is patchy but I'm sure the higher wages of ad men force up the cost of housing etc which affects us all or something. I think they should be banned in a world were people obsess about free carrier bags, more energy intensive newspapers are allowed to flood the streets. Also if Lindsay Lohan cops it they'll have nothing to write about. let's start a campaign "Read a book on the Bus"
I don't know what this is like, but the description doesn't exactly inspire me.
All the free papers I get at the moment I just ignore as there's always plenty people have left on the tube/bus. How they manage to be both inane and sensationalist at the same time, I don't know.
It does amuse me when the local papers come wrapped in those false covers - they always say "Your usual Milton Keynes Citizen is inside", as if people might panic and fear there's some sort of Invasion of the Copysnatchers trickery going on.
Incidentally, here in MK, we don't have a paid-for paper at all; if you want to pay for your news, you have to pretend you're in South Bedfordshire instead...
What I find bizarre with the Metro is that the localised coverage -- or the two or three pages in middle -- tend to be better written than the rest of the paper. The Wednesday restaurant reviews in Liverpool are always worth reading as is the arts coverage. It's almost like a different paper has been inserted into the middle away from the usual 'news' about some video on You Tube.
Looking at Daniel Craig reminds me of Geoff Hoon. And as a long time fan of 007, books before films I might add, that's spoilt everything for me now. EVERYTHING. This week's going to hell.
I will admit to ripping the outer advert cover from a copy of metro that I picked up on the bus this morning in Sheffield and depositing it on the floor but only because the cover had become covered in crap from being dropped on the floor several times already and doing so made it feel like a fresh copy. Usually I make an effort to drop the read paper back in the container at the front of the bus (or at least leave it folded on a seat) but apparently some people read them and then throw them to the floor and wipe their shoes on them. First buses are dirty anyway so I feel no shame.
It is almost impossible to fund a UK magazine on advertising and keep the editorial standard high.
In the US the lion's share of income comes from advertising, while newstand is negligible and subs are often sold at a loss. The circulations however are big enough to make ad funding, and huge editorial teams, a reality.
ShortList is going to have to shift an awful lot of copies just to meet its costs through advertising let alone make a decent profit.
I don't know if the story emerged beyond the bubble, but one of the free London papers recently ran ads in the marketing press showing the other free London paper's 'vendors' fly-tipping thousands of copies, to deter advertisers. I daresay both do it.
A pox on both their houses, or at least, a green tax.
What concerns me about all these freesheets is the devaluing of the written word and journalism as a profession (I know, I know but it should be a largely noble profession).
SMILES: "Good morning - here's your weekly ShortList!"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZXrc3QqNmk
Dignity personified. Some of the viewers' comments are funny, if you like swearing and that.
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