• by Erik Sass , September 11, 2008

To promote the environmentally friendly qualities of the Mini Cooper, Butler, Shine, Stern & Partners has coordinated a promotion bringing together Good, the magazine about philanthropy and activism, and The New York Times this Sunday. The collaboration will insert a special issue of Good in 600,000 newspapers alongside the Sunday Times Magazine section, reaching subscribers and newsstands in New York, Chicago, Miami, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.

The special issue of Good will be downsized to highlight the small size of the Mini Cooper, which helps it consume less gas and thus reduces its carbon footprint.

MPA Launches New Campaign

The Magazine Publishers of America is launching a new ad campaign to call attention to magazines' ability to drive purchase intent and online behavior. Executed by Toy New York, the ads are partly intended to give a boost to print editions by highlighting their utility in multi-platform advertising.

The campaign, which debuted Monday, consists of three print ads and seven online ads that show consumers surrounded by the products they were moved to buy by magazine ads, including Adidas, Haagen-Dazs, and Mini Cooper. (All have received Kelly Awards for their innovative use of magazine advertising.) The ads also show data from third-party studies confirming that magazines are strong motivators of consumer behavior.

USA Today Finds Love for Open Air

A survey conducted by Clarke, Martire & Bartolomeo for USA Todayfound a positive reader response to Open Air, the nation newspaper's new active lifestyle publication that debuted March 7. The survey of 638 respondents found that 80% said Open Air was an appealing publication, with praise for its photography, writing, visual layout, and breadth of coverage. About 60% said they felt it does a better job of conveying information about the subject matter than their current information source. About 75% of USA Today readers are very likely to read Open Air when it is included in the newspaper.

More Gets Makeover

More magazine is getting a new look with its October issue, set to hit newsstands on Sept. 16, thanks to a redesign led by Editor in Chief Lesley Jane Seymour and creative director Deb Bishop. The magazine's new look includes more white space, bolder colors and whimsical photos and design, to convey a tasteful but edgy sensibility. Beginning in October, the magazine is also splitting its Style Department in two, creating separate Beauty and Style Departments.

Cosmo, YouTube Partner for StarLaunch

Cosmo has partnered with YouTube to create StarLaunch, a search for talented female musicians who are aspiring to break into the recording industry. To participate, contestants simply upload their music video to YouTube, where it will be judged by music industry executives and fans. The winner will receive $10,000 to help launch a recording career, and will also perform live in New York with pop stars Natasha Bedingfield and Solange Knowles.

SmartMoney Launches Text4More

SmartMoney, a collaboration between Hearst and Dow Jones, is partnering with ShopText to launch a new mobile feature called Text4More, which allows them to text a short code to receive more information about the subjects covered in a special mini magazine about retirement planning sponsored by Genworth Financial. Readers who send the short text code will receive a PDF with more information at their email address.

Amex to Launch Elevations

American Express Publishing is planning to launch a new quarterly luxury lifestyle publication, Elevations, which will include content on ritzy dining, sports, home decoration and style. The new custom publication will launch with a circulation of 50,000 issues, delivered to Ritz-Carlton Club locations and the homes of members. Content will include previous stories that have appeared in Good that appeal to a general audience, creating a sort of "best of" for the magazine.