• by Erik Sass  @eriksass1, February 2, 2007

Maxim is giving South Beach a retro makeover hearkening back to the sun-splashed grandeur of the 1960s international jet set, creating a themed environment at its "Hotel de Maxim" in the Super Bowl village with support from a host of blue chip advertisers. Meant to evoke 1960's St. Tropez, the stomping ground of Europe's beautiful and dissolute classes on the French Riviera, Maxim's themed multi-day event gives pride of place to booze, music, gambling, and general self-indulgence.

Among the sponsored features are: White Cadillac Diamond Escalades and Red XLR-Vs full of branded Hotel de Maxim chocolates; an Absolut Bling martini station, courtesy of Absolut Vodka; a Coors Light bar with accompanying Coors Light beauties; a Samsung LCD TV video wall "garden"; an Under Armour lounge; and of course, the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa itself, providing the 1960s mod luxury vibe.

Guests at the Hotel de Maxim theme party will be served martinis, beer, caviar and crepes on the house, as they throw their money at blackjack and roulette tables. DJ Grandmaster Flash will provide the tunes.

Over the last year, Maxim and Stuff, another publication from Dennis Publishing, have been heading upscale to retain young male readers as they move into their mid- and late 20s. For its part, Maxim has been courting affluent young men with branded physical spaces, including a giant casino planned for Las Vegas and a chain of steakhouses developed with restaurant mogul Jeffrey Chodorow.

However, in a November interview with RedEye, Maxim editor Jimmy Jellinek said the magazines aren't aiming for snob appeal: "I think it's someone who's a lot more honest about themselves than the GQ reader, who is trying to delude themselves into some sort of aspirational lifestyle, completely unattainable. The Maxim lifestyle is attainable for everybody."

Sports Illustrated Buys FanNation.com

Time Inc.'s multiplatform strategy, touted by CEO Ann Moore, is unfolding with the purchase of the FanNation.com Web site by Sports Illustrated, a Time Inc. property. FanNation.com is a Web site that aggregates sports news and other info, and is also a platform for user-generated content, including fantasy sports leagues.

Along with the site itself, Time Inc. is acquiring a minority interest in the remaining STI properties. FanNation.com will complement Time Inc.'s existing portfolio of sports-related sites, including SI.com and Golf.com. Mark Ford, president and publisher of the SI Group, remarked: "This acquisition will enable the SI Group to compete in the Web 2.0 space, deliver an unparalleled experience for the millions of sports fans who visit SI.com each month and attract new fans interested in this engaging platform."

Redbook Partners With Limbo 41414

Redbook announced this week that it is partnering with Limbo 41414, a mobile content provider, for a year-long mobile-marketing initiative. This is Limbo's first deal with an American magazine. The duo is creating a sweepstakes offering prizes, including "experiential events" and special-advertising offers, all in the form of a cell-phone based text-messaging game. Redbook plans to promote the new game heavily in each issue of the magazine, beginning with the March edition, hitting newsstands Feb. 20.

Ken Baker Moves to US Weekly Online

Ken Baker, previously the executive editor of Us Weekly's West Coast operation, is becoming the editorial director of the magazine's Web site, Usmagazine.com. This is a new post created for Baker, whose replacement at the magazine hasn't been announced yet.

Kerry Bianchi Named Group Editor At Smithsonian

Kerry Bianchi has been named group publisher at Smithsonian publishing, president Thomas Ott announced this week. Bianchi, who will be based in the magazine's New York office, was previously the director of strategic initiatives for Reader's Digest Association's North American publishing group. Bianchi will be responsible for sales, marketing and research for Smithsonian, Air & Space and goSmithsonian. Ott remarked: "Kerry brings tremendous passion and expertise to both multimedia sales and brand-building."

Ellen Kunes Named EIC of Health

Ellen Kunes, the founding editor of O, the Oprah Magazine, has been named Health magazine's new editor in chief. Under Kunes' leadership, O enjoyed a successful launch and sustained growth in ad pages and dollars. In collaboration with Winfrey, Kunes was responsible for the title's "personal growth" focus, and translating the talk-show host's sensibility to the printed word.

Mike DeBartolo Named Ad EVP for Parade

Mike DeBartolo has been promoted to executive vice president of advertising for Parade Publications. DeBartolo, previously a senior vice-president of advertising, led the magazine as it outperformed its goal of 684 ad pages in 2006--its strongest performance since 1982. Randy Siegel, Parade's president and publisher, said: "In a challenging sales environment, we're proud to say we've done very well, and Mike deserves a lot of the credit."

Michael Boodro Joins Martha Stewart Living

Michael Boodro, formerly the editor in chief of Culture & Travel, is joining Martha Stewart Living as an editor, the publication announced this week. He'll be succeeded at Culture & Travel by Peter Terzian, who was previously an assistant editor at Newsday.