• by Erik Sass  @eriksass1, March 7, 2008

Better Homes Gets Green

Capitalizing on the wave of interest in all things green, Meredith Corp.'s Better Homes and Gardens is touring the country with its "Living Green Tour," an exhibition of environmentally friendly home ideas, including products, design inspirations and do-it-yourself projects. The tour is the result of a partnership between BHG and GreenWorks, a line of natural cleaners made with plant-based ingredients.

The seven-month, 15-city tour features a 2,500-square-foot BHG "Living Green Home" composed of ecologically sound materials and appliances. Don't fret about the fuel consumption; the substantial displays are being hauled with biodiesel, ostensibly safer for the environment than gas or diesel.

Along with GreenWorks cleaners, the Living Green Tour features products from Pella Windows and Doors, Bosch, Kohler, and Lee furniture. Already wrapped up in Hartford, Conn., the tour will hit New York, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., Miami, Atlanta, Nashville, Austin, Phoenix, and Las Vegas.

Hearst and Sí TV Partner for Quinceañera Videos

Hearst Magazines Digital Media is getting together with Sí TV to produce a series of videos about quinceañeras, the traditional Hispanic celebration for girls turning 15, which is similar to a "Sweet 16" party. The videos will appear on the Web site of Miss Quince, a Hearst publication dedicated to the celebration, as well as the Sí TV network of Web sites.

Quinceañeras can be quite elaborate, with lavish expenditures on a variety of goods and services, and the videos are sure to cover these areas. There will be three video series in all, covering different themes. The first, "Quince Girls," includes casual interviews with young Latinas discussing what's most important in a quinceañera. The second includes expert advice on planning a quinceañera from blogger Isabella Wall, as well as a celebrity hairstylist and makeup artist. The last features celebrities discussing their own quinceañera experiences.

Hearst Bows Widgets

Hearst Magazines Digital Media is also rolling out a new program that allows users to create referral links on other Web sites with widgets. Touting their ability to create a one-to-one dialogue with consumers, Hearst said it is partnering with Clearspring to develop widgets for various Web properties, including The Daily Green and Seventeen--allowing users to embed the applications into, for example, social networks like Facebook and MySpace. The widgets will also be accompanied by advertising, creating sponsorship opportunities for Hearst advertisers.

Time Inc. Launches MyHomeIdeas.com

Time Inc.'s Southern Progress Corporation is launching MyHomeIdeas.com, an online portal featuring original content and material from SPC titles like Cottage Living, Coastal Living, Southern Living, Southern Accents and Sunset. Altogether, it draws on the expertise of 60 in-house staffers, covering decorating basics, interior-design trends, how-to videos and step-by-step instructions, virtual tours, galleries, new products, polls, and blogs. The portal's features include Design Assistant, Weekend Project, Educated Shopper, Room of the Day, Year of Gardening, and Stuff You'll Love.

Atlantic Gets Current

The Atlantic Monthly is going daily with the launch of a new Web portal called The Current that will cover breaking news from an informed perspective. The site, sponsored by Credit Suisse at its launch, will focus on timely, energetic reporting of news seasoned with insights from the notoriously thoughtful magazine. That includes several daily digital essays and commentary from the magazine's writers and editors, as well as links to topics of interest around the Web. The launch follows the Atlantic's removal of its paid firewall in January of this year.

Sporting News to Relocate

Sporting News, founded in 1886, is getting a new home. Its owner, American City Business Journals Inc., says it will relocate the venerable magazine from its old digs in St. Louis to Charlotte, N.C., bringing 30 staffers with it. The move includes all its editorial and production personnel.

Musical Chairs at Conde Nast's Bridal Sales

The sales force at Conde Nast's bridal division is being restructured by Bill Wackermann, senior vice president and publisher of Glamour and Conde Nast Bridal Media. Wackermann is taking apart the integrated sales force for Bridal Media, which includes the online and print properties of Brides, Elegant Bride, Modern Bride and Your Prom. This means that Katherine Rizzuto, previously in charge of publishing for the whole division, now shares responsibility with Jennifer Hicks. Rizzuto remains publisher of Brides, the flagship title, while Hicks has been named vice president and publisher for the other three titles. Online will stay integrated, for the time being. Susan Rerat, previously vice president and publishing director for Bridal Media, has been named vice president of Brides.com, which draws on content from the three bridal mags. Jennifer Cole remains publisher of the Web site.

Travel + Leisure Names Norwood VP, Assoc. Publisher

Pamela Norwood has been named vice president and associate publisher for marketing at Travel + Leisure. Norwood joins the title from GQ, where she serves as executive director of creative services. This is actually Norwood's second time at Amex, rejoining the company after a seven-year hiatus with other magazines. Before GQ, she also worked as executive director of creative services for Conde Nast Corporate, and Conde Nast Bridal Group.