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Two covers for Car magazine

24 Jul 2012

Beginning with the August issue of Car magazine, around 20 000 copies have a cover that bears a single, evocative image and is entirely devoid of type, except for the masthead. It is also the first time in the magazine's 56-year history that its name has appeared in anything other than its trademark red.

Car August subscriber copy

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Car August issue

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These unique copies are destined for subscribers, giving them a creative cover that can be appreciated for its own sake, uncluttered by marketing messages of newsstand copies. The photo on the August cover is that of a rare Pagani Huayra, which has price tag of R20 million.

Monitoring subscriber sentiment

"We value our subscribers and with these elegant covers, we hope they will feel appreciated and special," commented editor, Hannes Oosthuizen. "The emphasis will be on covers that look good on any coffee table and will be striking enough to be a conversation point."

The concept of exclusive subscriber covers was tested on the magazine's Facebook page before the decision was taken to go ahead. The response was overwhelmingly positive; fans voted almost unanimously for the minimalist version, leaving comments like "classy" and "new and exciting." Moreover, early reaction to the August cover confirms that subscribers clearly favour the cleaner option.

The team will continue monitoring subscriber sentiment in deciding on future covers, concluded Oosthuizen.