Men’s Magazine GQ Plans to Go Live

RMN Digital | June 15, 2012 | Americas, Applications, Corporate, Enterprise, Lifestyle, Masses, Regions, Strategy | No Comments

Leading men’s general-interest magazine GQ plans to release its first-ever live issue, with the September 2012 edition.

Every advertisement in the issue will be “live,” along with select editorial. The GQ Live issue will feature dynamic print-to-mobile content extensions activated by a GQ Live app, powered by Aurasma’s leading augmented-reality platform.

The image-recognition technology will literally bring content to life through videos, 3D modeling, and more, says the company.

“We’re thrilled to be the first magazine to announce a completely live issue,” said Chris Mitchell, vice president and publisher, GQ. “It’s a huge opportunity for our advertisers to showcase their brands and engage GQ readers in a new and creative way.”

As the publishing industry is fast embracing digital technologies, Next Issue Media, a joint venture formed by five leading U.S.-based publishers – Conde Nast, Hearst, Meredith, News Corp. and Time Inc., has launched its all-new tablet newsstand featuring top titles, designed specifically for Android tablets. (Read: How Next Issue Delivers Top Digital Magazines)

General manager of Aurasma, Jennifer Rapp, said, “As the publishing industry is propelled into the digital age, GQ has been leading the way by seeking out new technologies to enhance the magazine’s experience and bringing its readers and advertisers along for an exciting ride.”

The GQ Live app will be available for free on the App Store and Google Play (Androids 2.2 and higher) beginning August 21.

GQ is available in print, online at GQ.com, and as an app at iTunes.com. The magazine is published by Conde Nast, a division of Advance Publications.