07/07/2008
Genre Heads to TV to Boost Readership
I can't remember the last time I saw any magazine take to the airwaves in an effort to boost readership, but Genre has launched a nationwide TV advertising campaign on MTV's LOGO network that will run until the end of the year.
Watch it, AFTER THE JUMP...
UPDATE: Robb in our comments notes, A Bear's Life magazine takes ads out on on LOGO as well..
Previously
Genre Puts on The Ritz [tr]
Genre Fakes Cover Story to "Sell" Idea of Relationship Longevity [tr]
The Goings-On at Genre Magazine [tr]
Posted 6:17 PM EST by Andy in Magazines, News | Permalink
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A Bear's Life magazine has been advertising on LOGO for over a year now.
PLUS it has been featured on Letterman with Kevin Smith and on Kimmel with Kathy Griffin and will be featured on this Thursday's episode of MY LIFE ON THE D-LIST
Posted by: Robb | Jul 7, 2008 6:33:14 PM
Wow, a boring ad for a terrible magazine!
The only entertaining thing about that magazine is seeing if you can find a two-page spread that doesn't contain a bare torso. Such fluff.
Posted by: Paul R | Jul 7, 2008 6:38:50 PM
I'm just now reading that relationship-longevity story from December.
That's just sad. How hard would it really have been to find an actual couple?
Anyway, best of luck to Genre in a tough business.
Posted by: thin mint | Jul 7, 2008 6:53:12 PM
That's horrible! It's just one big, ugly stereotype! My life has nothing to do with the gym, my wardrobe or the clubs, because I'm too busy with work, paying the mortgage and raising of the kids.
Posted by: Chapotheother | Jul 7, 2008 7:00:40 PM
If they really want to target gay men, they should advertise on Spike and G4. I don't know any gay people who watch Logo. Their programming is beyond boring. Plus, I tried to watch it once, and it was 2 minutes of content surrounded by 10 minutes of ads. Are we just a demographic to be pandered to? Fark 'em.
Posted by: henry | Jul 7, 2008 7:10:13 PM
"GENRE - proud to be gay, white and boring."
Posted by: Joe | Jul 7, 2008 7:30:21 PM
"GENRE - proud to be gay, white and boring."
"And occasionally light-skinned Latino for a taste of the exotic."
I got a year's subscription to Genre for taking some online survey thing. The only part I ever read is the profiles they do on real gay men towards the very back of the magazine. Then I throw them away.
Posted by: Chas | Jul 7, 2008 7:47:10 PM
If we don't get Logo in L.A. (Lower Alabama/NW Florida), is it still considered "nationwide"?
Posted by: Tom Dempsey | Jul 7, 2008 8:46:06 PM
wow... what a pile of negativity! If the other magazines need to they should advertise too. Come on guys, lighten up! Jeez. I subscribe to a whole slew of magazines to get a balanced across the board view on gay life. They are just part of it... no need to shit on them for merely being part of the whole demographic! Hell, I get accused sometimes of being too serious, but you guys make me look like Kathy Griffin on E sometimes!
Posted by: CK | Jul 7, 2008 9:13:16 PM
I don't watch LOGO at all. LOGO is simply MTV's way of putting us in a cage. In a general sense, the liberal entertainment industry in America uses "gay" in the way a zoo-keeper uses a cage - i.e. to keep us gay and bi men (the scary animals) away from the mainstream. Note how MTV gives virtually no coverage to gay and bi men in its mainstream channel.
Wake up, guys - MTV is not on our side.
Posted by: jason | Jul 7, 2008 9:55:22 PM
Who gives a sh#$ about a "gay" magazine edited by a str8 guy??? He has both a wife and a girlfriend....he's so far from knowing about the gay experience it's pathetic. I cancelled my Genre subscription 2 months into his reign. I'm not surprised they're desperate for money.
Posted by: dezboy | Jul 7, 2008 9:58:21 PM
I have no problem with a bisexual man editing a magazine targeted to our community. Gay men need to get the twists out of their knickers and start realizing that bisexuality in men is very important in establishing a bridge to the mainstream.
Gay men need to get out of their petty little mindsets and their petty desires for self-segregation and self-marginalization.
Posted by: jason | Jul 7, 2008 10:22:57 PM
I think everyone at LOGO should be fired and that network should be programmed by a gay man with a Howard Stern approach to sex, life, fun, etc. I mean, why is it everything gay in the media world (mags, tv, etc) is so fucking boring and yet gay people are supposed to be so colorful and entertaining!!??
Jeezus, how about a game show of gay guys bargaining with straight guys to take naked showers for money? I want nudity, raunchy humor, confrontational political shows, gay Intervention, smalltown homo rescue, etc....
STOP BORING US LOGO
Posted by: Tim | Jul 7, 2008 10:26:26 PM
GENRE has not been much good since a certain gentleman left the helm.
I dumped them when they had someone call who actually argued with me implying that I was not financially responsible for not renewing my subscription at their great rate! Hmmm, think maybe that's my decision?!
Posted by: Kevin | Jul 7, 2008 10:37:03 PM
The magazine is so much better since they go a new management team. They are growing, making money and are not for sale -- that is a big deal in this day and age. I give them credit for trying to think outside of the box to increase their readership.
Posted by: HellsKitchen | Jul 7, 2008 11:44:07 PM
I give LOGO credit for giving a voice to the GLBT community -- and through the lenses of major corporation like MTV. This is true movement guys -- embrace it.
Posted by: Movingon | Jul 7, 2008 11:46:05 PM
I give LOGO credit for giving a voice to the GLBT community -- and through the lenses of major corporation like MTV. This is true movement guys -- embrace it.
Posted by: Movingon | Jul 7, 2008 11:48:14 PM
I remember when it was more than some bitter queens reading this blog. Jeesh! It's an advertisement for a magazine, not some political attack on you or your home.
It is a well put together media campaign, targeting their demo. I'm probably not Genre's demo, but I appreciate them asking me to subscribe.
See how easy it was for me to be nice and not so bitch? Try it...just once.
Posted by: charlie | Jul 7, 2008 11:56:28 PM
Why are they sleeping in their underwear?
Posted by: Landru | Jul 8, 2008 12:59:49 AM
I have been a Genre and OUT subscriber for years now and my only major complaint is that both magazines depict New York City as the center of gay life. They are unable to see past their myopic city-hub and assume all of gay America live within the confines of Manhattan. They cite NYC bars, clubs, and eateries as if everyone is quite familiar with their locales and lives within a 10-mile radius of them. I am lucky if I can get away to NYC once a year for a vacation. Until both magazines realize gay life goes way beyond the boundaries of NYC, they will continue to have a strained readership.
Posted by: Dr. Christopher Blackwell | Jul 8, 2008 1:05:13 AM
i've been meaning to stop using this word in a negative sense..
but that was the 'gayest' commercial ever.
Posted by: Jesse | Jul 8, 2008 4:21:07 AM
I use to live in NYC - and it was OK during my 20's. I love country life now - but I grew up with Genre and still enjoy the nostalgia. It has changed, but they continue to feature regular guys from a variety of parts of the country - including Atlanta, every month. Have you ever seen the back of the magazine? It is called Genre Man and they look at regular guys. I had an ex-bf who was featured many years ago, and he was a waiter and lived in Tulsa - can we get any further from civilizatiion?
Posted by: CityGuy | Jul 8, 2008 6:28:31 AM
The guys are in underwear so that advertisers can get on-air credit. A great way to have product placement - not bad with the BIG placement they got
Posted by: Nakedknowhow | Jul 8, 2008 6:30:51 AM
Hey, Logo doesn't suck 100%: Rick & Steve are funny! How is Here! Network? Any good? We don't get it in Portland.
Posted by: JohnnP | Jul 8, 2008 9:57:11 AM
The guys appear to be sleeping in a bed. What *should* they be wearing, if not their underwear?
Posted by: PeterH | Jul 8, 2008 11:38:25 AM
You know it's funny, in my neighborhood Genre is shelved with the gay porn mags, because it has so many half naked men in it. I'm serious!
Posted by: seartstud | Jul 8, 2008 4:03:07 PM
Just so you guys know, Bill Kapfer, VP for Advertising for Genre has several nom-de-plumes on this message board. I'll leave it up to you guys to figure which messages are his.
Posted by: getrealbill | Jul 8, 2008 4:06:40 PM