What a week: the much awaited Monocle Mediterraneo debuted July 29, and the Metropoli magazine exhibit started July 28. Be on the lookout for these events, which we will revisit.
Here is the front page of the summer newspaper Monocle Mediterraneo, which appears July 29.
It is almost here, and, at least the front page is here for all to see, a pictorial invitation to sample the inside contents of the summer’s most awaited happening in newspaper land. Tyler Brule’s Monocle Mediterraneo is colorful, and uses the front page to map out this journey under the sun for beachgoers in the Mediterranean beaches as well as at airports. It will also sit alongside the world’s major dailies in Italy, Spain, France, Greece, Turkey, Portugal and Lebanon.
The format is tabloid, 64 pages, and, of course, there are digital components for those with their iPads handy—although Tyler himself suggests not taking Apple’s gadget by the pool, where it could be splashed, or the suntan lotion may come in contact with the precious screen. “Sunscreen, yes; iPad screen, no” read the headline of one of his recent columns for the Financial Times. He would prefer that you place your mojito by your side, get comfortable and go leisurely page by page , dreaming of that other beach where you are not this summer, or getting tips on how to get your autumn wardrobe ready, or letting four chefs give you ideas for that perfect dish on deck this afternoon. And because Tyler’s newspaper encourages everything that has to do with ink on paper, you may also read about the romance of postcards, with a piece by our friend and favorite author, William Powers, author of Hamlet’s Blackberry , another man for whom print is eternal.
Indeed, Tyler Brûlé, editor in chief, believes the latest Monocle media extension will become the ultimate accessory for summer relaxation. “The creation of the Monocle newspaper is a response to our growing audience and the desire to launch a highly targeted product to reach them when they have time to read and listen at their leisure,” says Brûlé. “There’s a huge amount of talk about the death of print, thanks to various types of ‘pad’ devices, but if you think of summer – with sand, swimming, sun cream and socialising – a carefully crafted newspaper is more useful and reader-friendly than a backlit screen that hates the sun and salt.”
The ads on Monocle Mediterraneo should also give you ideas for things to buy after you get up from your beach chair, like a BMW or a BlackBerry. Nothing from Apple? Someone must make it a point to inform Steve Jobs.
Bravo, Tyler, and best wishes.
Monocle Mediterraneo facts at a glance:
Multi-platforms: The Monocle newspaper will exist in both print and online formats.
Format/pagination: The 64-page colour tabloid will be accompanied by the weekly Monocle Summer Series audio programme on monocle.com, mixing live music, discussion and debate.
Price:The newspaper is priced at £3.50 or €5,
Previous blog interview with Tyler Brulé about his Monocle Mediterraneo project
http://garciamedia.com/blog/articles/exclusive_tyler_brule_discusses_the_monocle_newspaper
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Metropoli celebrates two decades of creativity
The covers of Metropoli magazine are the stuff of posters.
And we see those posters, which appeared in the Spanish newspaper El Mundo, in the offices of art directors worldwide. They are the covers that we all wished we had created, the ones we turn to for inspiration when the muse is taking a coffee break somewhere. Some of them take type to the next level—think a place with a big screen above the moon; others will turn the cover of the magazine into a cigarette box—think Marlboro and a story about the dangers of you know what. Then there is the one where the logo transforms itself into wrinkled and disheveled letters as in a poster outside a bullfight arena where it has rained for days. And let’s not forget the one after 9/11, which is used on the exhibition poster, by the way.
The man behind so many of these magnificently conceptualized covers is the talented Rodrigo Sanchez, who for years has been art director of the supplements at El Mundo in Spain. These days he is art director for all magazines of the Unidad Editorial Group.
An exhibit of the best of Metropoli opens July 28 and runs through September 11 in Madrid at Instituto Europeo di Design, at Fundacion Diario Madrid, C/Larra 14.
**Mario’s posts courtesy of TheMarioBlog.