Monday, December 14, 2009

Allure Magazine 1997

On the April and May covers of Allure, the major shift from model to celebrity cover hasn’t occurred, however, they are solely using widely recognizable supermodels such as Cindy Crawford and Kate Moss. The two major themes for these covers are how to eat and the introduction of user generated content.

“Eating (and eating…and eating…) After Dark: Confessions, Causes and Cures” and “Food Traps: Eating at the Movies, the Ball Game, the Mall.” First, the magazine associates the basic need of eating as a disease that must be cured if it is done after dark. This exemplifies the shift in perceptions of weight and wealth. In the past, a healthy weight symbolized wealth and vitality as a result of the ability to purchase an abundance of food. Now, the idea that “I have the ability to eat whatever food I want, but choose not to” and therefore remain very thin is the new representation of wealth in terms of food. It’s also problematic that this statement causes the very disease that does need a cure, anorexia. Eating after dark is not a disease or disorder that needs to be cured, however telling someone this is the catalyst for disordered eating, which does need a cure or treatment. By using the term confession the magazine gives three messages. First, the person reading the magazine is not alone, second there are people out there that have a worse form of ‘disease,’ which makes the reader feel better about herself and finally, the reader can take a peek into the lives of others, which plays into our obsession with exploiting privacy. “Food Traps: Eating at the Movies, the Ball Game, the Mall,” appearing on the May cover associates leisurely, enjoyable activities with negative and the idea that they exist to ruin one’s life. Similar to drug companies creating disease for which they have the cures, Allure puts a negative spin on activities that we would never consider to be detrimental, all in the name of selling their cover. Allure preys on the beauty magazine reader’s yearning for perfection and creates a new problem for which they have the solution inside the pages.

Additionally, one of Allure’s memorable and unique features is their stamp of approval on a multitude of hair care, beauty, and skincare products. The products that bare their stamp are not products that pay for the privilege; rather readers share their opinions, both praises and problems with various products. Getting Allure’s stamp means increased sales and awareness for the product and can be the difference between stability and success for certain brands. This concept of user generated content for the magazine started in the May 1997 issue. It was a great tactic because it allowed readers to engage with the magazine and affect the products that appeared. It also gave the readers increased confidence in the credibility of the magazine because they could feel secure in knowing that not all of the products featured were a result of paid placement.

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