Harper Bazaar’s Gets a New Look, with an Emphasis on Mobile Commerce
The phrase “do or die” takes on new meaning in the magazine publishing world, where ”innovate or die” might be a more appropriate phrase. With Vogue still trumping other fashion publications when it comes to ad pages, its March issue will debut a whopping 442 pages of ads.
While Hearst’s Harper’s Bazaar (the first and oldest American fashion magazine) will close its March issue up 15.5 percent in ad pages from 2011, the magazine will also debut a brand new look and slick redesign. Publisher Carol Smith told WWD the mag was “embarking on a brand transformation” But aside from a few tweaks in font and less cover clutter in terms of typography, titles and hints at the inside content, Hearst is giving Harper’s Bazaar an e-commerce and m-commerce makeover.
“We are rethinking this product from magazine to mobile shopping. The new look very much calls on our past as we look towards the future,” Smith told WWD. And this makes a lot of sense for the magazine. Harper’s Bazaar has eschewed the explicit emphasis on celebrity shopping and style, and has been consistent for over a century with its focus on luxury goods and runway fashion. Because of this, the magazine’s transition to the world of mobile commerce should and can feel rather natural for the reader/user (terms which will become more interchangeable as magazines blur the line between editorial and digital storefront). I’m not sure if they’re pushing a “scan-to-buy” option for smartphones, or if they will align themselves with luxury online retailers like Net-A-Porter, but there are a few options that would make a lot of sense for a magazine that is sort of a heritage brand on its own.
The March issue of the physical magazine features a faceless Gwynth Paltrow, shot by Terry Richardson. WWD’s Amy Wicks describes the aesthetic transformation:
…it’s like the party guest who you recognize when she enters the room, but you know she’s hadwork done — a lot of work.
The magazine is larger by one inch, the paper quality is noticeably thicker and there is new cover typography. Inside the issue, the pages look less cluttered and thrown together, with more white space, while sections are more tightly edited. So far, there’s less celebrity and the related popcorn stories that can come with that.
While HB remains the fourth fashion title in terms of ad pages, behind Vogue, InStyle and Elle, I think the magazine will benefit from sticking to its focus on high fashion and letting Elle and Vogue overdo it on the celebrity coverage (though using Gwyneth as the debut cover girl is only excusable because we don’t know it’s her until we’re told so).
What do you all think?






































