UK publishers have jointly funded an industry-wide campaign, led by the Professional Publishers Association (PPA), to champion the value of print.
Launching today under the banner ’Magazines. In the World’s Best Interests’, with creative from London agency Weirdo, it’s the first time in a decade that competing publisher brands have united behind a single, dedicated campaign to promote their brands at retail.
The publishers include Bauer Media, Future plc, Hearst UK, Immediate, DC Thomson, and Condé Nast.
Participating publishers have pledged over £2m in media value, with the campaign running in evolving phases over the next 18 months. Bauer Media is additionally contributing outdoor and audio media in October, extending the campaign’s reach beyond publishers’ own titles.
The UK’s two leading magazine distributors, Frontline and Marketforce, are backing the campaign on the ground and working directly with retailers to strengthen shelf presence and reinforce confidence in the category at the point of sale.
The campaign’s central invitation is to take time out for the things you love - whether that’s film, music, fashion, fishing or cars - and enjoy uninterrupted time with your passion, and the community of people who share it.
The launch creative, Editor’s Note, runs inside participating titles from October, with a short, personal thank you from each editor to their reader for choosing a printed copy. Editorial teams from participating publishers who are collectively responsible for over 200 titles will create brand-specific messaging for their own audience and subject matter, all built around a shared message architecture developed by Weirdo. Further iterations are planned in the coming months.
Sajeeda Merali, CEO of the PPA, said: “PPA Member brands have never been just one format. They’re a relationship with a reader, wherever that reader chooses to meet them. This campaign isn’t about turning back the clock on digital, it’s about reminding people why print earns its place in the media mix too: the trust it carries, and the simple pleasure of uninterrupted reading. Getting publishers who are naturally competitors, to fund and back a single campaign says everything about how strongly this industry believes in their own product.”
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