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A guest post from intern Margaret Johnson:
A few thoughts came to mind when I saw the video demonstration of Esquire's May "Mix 'N' Match" cover, which, according to AdAge, is "perforated to split into a flip book that will let readers play mix and match with the facial features of President Barack Obama, George Clooney and Justin Timberlake." First of all, a video demonstration? I thought the point of Esquire was to teach men how not to look desperate. More importantly, is Esquire demeaning the president by making his facial features interchangeable with those of an actor and a pop musician? (Not that you aren't Obama-dreamy, George and Justin.) Or is this a claim that we need to focus on the man behind the image, which can be so easily sliced and reassembled to please or amuse the beholder?
And what's with the physical format of the flip book? This is the magazine whose October 2008 issue featured a digital cover. Those build-a-man flaps on the new cover seem decidedly analog to me. The gimmick is, of course, aimed at boosting newstand sales, which every magazine needs right now, but the editors of Esquire know that even October's über-gimmick didn't sell as many copies as Angelina Jolie did on the July 2007 cover or Johnny Depp did this January. Do the folks at Esquire think our attention spans have decreased to the point that we need our magazines to "do something" besides provide a good read? Are they afraid their stories alone are no longer enough to engage us? If so, is that about the quality of the stories, the quality of the readers, or just the fact that to sell anything in this economy you have to throw in some bells and whistles? The video demonstration is pasted below—does it make you want to buy the fancy flip book and play along?
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Meghan, I'm fascinated by the "cultural metabolism" (as you so aptly put it) of these parental age stories, as well, but I suspect that men will never feel the same sort of pressure no matter how many of these studies are pumped out. Even with the rise of a few emo daddy bloggers, there is still not the same sort of imperative. Women are told, implictly and explicitly, that their lives are incomplete unless they become mothers. All you have to do is look at the celebrity fetishization of motherhood to see how this plays out. After Brad and Angelina started having kids, Jennifer Aniston was cast as pathetic because she was childless, and countless tabloid stories were churned out speculating about Jen's potential baby bump or lack thereof. On the other hand, Angelina was heralded as the second coming of Mother Teresa. Do we ever read stories about how George Clooney cries into his Cheerios because he's never been blessed with a bundle of joy? Of course not. Obviously the celebrity media isn't a complete reflection of pedestrian life, but I think in this case its telling.
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There's good news all around in today's lipstick level, both at the high and low ends. Predictably, Wal-Mart is doing incredibly well, but according to the IHT, it's actually exceeding expectations. Also doing well: niche teen stores like Hot Topic. Apparently the desire for zebra-print leggings remains high even during times of struggle.
Also in the black? YSL. According to Miles Socha at Women's Wear Daily, YSL has become profitable by emphasizing store sell-through rather than loading up boutiques with merchandise. The company is led by Valerie Hermann, a "driven but fun-loving" CEO. Part of the reason that YSL is doing well seems to be their increased brand visibility. Socha notes, "YSL is ranked number-one within Gucci Group in terms of editorial credits, prorated versus advertising investments."
Keeping your brand solid is something that Nespresso, the "upmarket coffee capsule" from Nestle has done quite well. They've built their entire marketing campaign around George Clooney. But that's not all! Advertising analyst Jim Boulton tells the BBC:
The marketing material [for Nespresso] at every touch point is polished and has data capture at its heart. ... Consumers are automatically enrolled in a loyalty programme, and receive a regular glossy magazine that re-enforces the notion that consumers are members of an exclusive club.
I guess everyone wants to join a club that involves fantasizing about waking up next to George Clooney. Thanks to the Cloon and his upscale caffeinated beverages, today's lipstick level is a 70.
Earlier: Introducing the Lipstick Level: A Recessionometer
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