First to market in the quality British men’s lifestyle monthly sector, this marks a digital milestone, and as well as offering the content of the July issue, has additional media-rich editorial, say the publishers.
Dylan Jones, Editor of British GQ, remarks: “The thirst for technological empowerment continues apace, and nowhere is this more obvious that among our very own constituency - 46% of GQ readers already own or intend to purchase an iPad in the near future. A new form of interaction with GQ, the July issue app maintains the editorial integrity of our brand, coupled with stand-out creative application, setting the industry benchmark for the men’s market. If readers get half as much enjoyment from reading our app as we did from producing it, then we will have done a good job.”
Highlights of the GQ July issue app include comedian Jerry Seinfeld trapped in the app, literally; an extraordinary short film of the world’s sexiest woman, supermodel and star of Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley; Heston Blumenthal conjuring up the strangest dish ever made; Alan Hollinghurst reading a passage from his astonishing new novel; and the Rolling Stones animated. All this plus columnists that wink at you when you least expect it, exercises you can watch before tying them out, and fashion stories that will surround you with sound and make you feel as though you really are leaping through the jungle wearing a safari suit.
Paul Solomons, Creative Director for GQ, who has led the team behind the app, adds: “This has been one of the most exciting projects I have worked on during my time at GQ. The success of a magazine on a tablet device is based around providing an enhanced visual experience while still maintaining a legible format that people will want to read. We set ourselves a goal to produce an app where the viewer will discover hidden extras, adding to the GQ experience each time it’s viewed. We’ve tried literally to bring our pages to life. This is the beginning of a new era for GQ.”
The GQ team has conceived and created the app in-house and are already working on the October issue, at which point the app goes monthly.
From a commercial perspective, all July issue print ads appear on the iPad, with extra augmented commercial opportunities on the inaugural app taken by Glenfiddich, Tag Heuer, Ralph Lauren and Armani Code Fragrance. One of the pioneering advertisers, Glenfiddich, the world’s most awarded single malt scotch whisky, features on the iPad app with an Adventurer’s Spirit promotion, tying in with the print issue advertorial, with an added dimension in the re-worked app solution.
Andy Corris, Senior Brand Manager for First Drinks, comments: “We’re delighted with the stand out the debut GQ app offers. Founded on pioneering principles, Glenfiddich saw this as an opportunity to capitalise on the best technology can offer, ensuring the reach for our promotion had even greater depth and impact.”
Jamie Bill, Publishing Director of GQ, comments: “This additional route to read, an added dimension for GQ, offers a powerful new route for our advertisers to engage with the consumer, building on our unique level of audience engagement.”
The GQ July issue app is available for £2.39 from the App Store.
