Graphic Design That Works

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The most conflicted relationship in magazine publishing is the one be-

tween advertising and editorial. Journalism professors and old-school edi-

tors preach the separation of church and state, struggling day in and day

out to remain objective in the face of financial sponsorship.

Yet it’s hard to ignore the fact that magazines depend on advertisers to stay

alive. Though subscriptions and newsstand sales remain crucial, staggering

circulation costs dilute this income. So unless readers are willing to sup-

port the magazine’s cause with expensive annual subscriptions (as in the

case of

Ms.

and

Adbusters,

socially aware titles that shun advertising’s in-

fluence), advertising is a necessary ally—or evil, depending on how you

look at it.

Advertising Age

Graphic Design That Works

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With ads, magazines constantly have to draw the line

in the sand between customer satisfaction and editorial

integrity. But without ads, they may be forced to cut

back on the resources used to establish that integrity.

Look, for instance, at the case of new economy business

magazines such as

Red Herring,

which was forced to

lay off reporters, designers, and editors when its high-

tech advertisers started tightening their purse strings.

One issue rarely addressed in journalism schools is the

effect advertising has on a magazine’s look and feel.

Art directors at trade magazines and smaller journals

grapple with this problem often, usually because their

sales teams tend to sell a large number of fractional

ads, or ads that take up only a quarter or half of the

page, to lower-budget advertisers in order to serve a

targeted industry or niche. But even high-powered ti-

tles face the concern. What happens when a valued

advertiser places an ugly ad? When an ad contrasts

sharply with the layout on the facing page?

The designers and art directors interviewed for this

book differ in their approach to the advertising-design

challenge. Some develop elaborate philosophies about

it; others deal with it on the fly. But they are almost all

alike in that they rarely leave the result to chance.

Advertising’s Influence

left, below and opposite

Sometimes the reason is

intentional maneuvering

by the art department,

and sometimes advertis-

ers take their cue from

Blue’s

design. Whatever

the case, ads and layouts

have a way of coming to-

gether harmoniously.

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Many designers, at the very least, work a glance-over

of the magazine into their production process. This in-

volves close cooperation with the ad production de-

partment, not only because ads often come in at the

last minute and are often placed in layouts last but

also because the placement of ads is a sensitive issue.

“We look at the ads and see how they’ll look against

an article,” says Dina Gan, editor in chief of

A.

“Some

companies only want to be in the front of the book.

Advertisers have their own concerns. Some ads aren’t

the prettiest in the world, and if they’re really bad, we

may request a different ad.”

Other editors monitor ads closely so they can

staunchly defend the magazine’s brand.

*Surface,

for

example, positions itself as a magazine that’s so far

ahead of the design and fashion curve that it doesn’t

need to stoop to trendy or novelty concepts. “We need

to set a certain tone in order to stay in the black,” says

Riley John-donnell, the magazine’s co-publisher and

co-creative director.

If an advertiser submits an ad that’s not in line with

this tone, the magazine may turn it away. “We draw

the line at anything offensive,” says John-donnell.

“Those kinds of things are visually not helping the

client. Sometimes younger advertisers go for shock

value, either visually or contentwise. They’re trying to

be cutting edge.”

Staying Involved in Ad Placement

left and below Some

magazines, like

A,

are

careful to maintain the

separation of church and

state—that is, editorial

and advertising. But de-

signers keep their eyes

open to make sure ads

reflect the quality of the

magazine’s design.

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