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Despite Controversy, Novelty Mag Covers Going Strong

Expect more gimmicky ad treatments from magazines in the coming months as publishers hunt for revenue. For instance, Esquire is pitching ads that would jump off the page when the magazine is held up to a computer's Webcam. The augmented reality technology would enhance its December "Best & Brightest" issue focusing on innovation. It would be the first editorial-driven use of augmented reality, and sparks more questions about the mixing of editorial and ad content.

To advertisers, Esquire's effort is described as having the cover subject greet readers, who will then see the cover image be built. Inside, augmented reality could be used to play videos of story subjects and a runway show accompanying a fashion story.

Scholastic Parent & Child, which directly flouted ASME guidelines when it put ads on the bottom of its covers this year, is planning another provocative ad, in October and November. The ad for Campbell Soup bookends an editorial spread and is joined by a very long noodle that interrupts the editorial. Mediaedge:cia and BBDO handled the ad. Publisher Risa Crandall says that when Scholastic tested the noodle ad with its reader panel, 93% approved of it.

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