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Magazines Jun 24, 2009 @ 5:22pm

Money Talks

gwen-stefani-elle-july[1].jpg We’re imagining Anna’s lips disappearing into a thin line of anger: Forbes has announced that in the first half of the year, Elle has sold more ad pages than Vogue.

For fashion magazines (and any magazine, really) ad sales are where the big money comes pouring in. With the state of the economy, everyone’s ad sales are down, Elle is down 22%, Vogue is down 32%. Some more numbers for you: last year, Vogue had 10% more ads than Elle, but for the last six issues, Elle sold 970 pages and Vogue sold 956.

It’s pretty close, but are these the winds of change? Vogue has been the most elite and respected fashion glossy for decades though many fans of the magazine have been grinding their teeth over recent cover choices like Blake Lively and Sienna Miller (a frequent cover girl) - choices that Forbes dubs too “down-market” and possible signs that Vogue is slipping.

We would die of happiness if we thought this meant models and designers would regularly be gracing the covers of these popular fashion magazines, but Elle’s recent cover girl choices haven’t been spectacular lately either. Is this just going to be changing of guard, that doesn’t really change anything all that much?

—AMANDA JEAN BOYLE

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posted by guest

Jun 24, 2009 5:49PM

What? As if advertisers are going to go elsewhere because of Blake Lively being on the cover. There is no association there. Didn't they have Michelle Obama recently? It would be just as silly to say that she was a bad choice because she isn't a model. Clearly the first lady will sell magazines!

posted by guest

Jun 24, 2009 6:16PM

If Vogue's 956 pages generated more revenue then Elle's 970 pages, why does this story really matter? Elle's demographic trends younger than Vogue so that probably explains the more pages. Elle magazine is the whore the industry. It will sell itself cheap for anything.

I guess it's time for the Wintour replacement rumors to start again.

posted by guest

Jun 24, 2009 7:26PM

gwen stefani is amazing so i hope you are not using her as an example of Elle's poor choice in cover girls

posted by guest

Jun 24, 2009 10:23PM

Am I the only one who hates that both Elle and Vogue have more ad pages than actual content pages????

posted by guest

Jun 25, 2009 12:01AM

the bottom line is about ad revenue, agreed. I love Vogue but I am enjoying the edginess of ELLE that seems more tuned with the times. The one thing they both do, which is dull as dirt is feature too many celebrity covers. Nothing against any of them, but these boring so called 'actresses' are a yawner from a fashion point of view. I mean really, I will NEVER buy another magazine with Kate Hudson on the cover. Reese Witherspoon is sweet, but does nothing spectacular with respect to style.

posted by etoilee8

Jun 25, 2009 1:28AM

Agree with 5. I can't buy covers with people that bore me on the front. I'd rather see some obscure actress than some over exposed starlet/pop star any day.

posted by nycshoegal

Jun 25, 2009 11:11AM

agreed, 5 and 6.
i got skinned last time i mentioned the actress cover trend but i'm not scared, i'll do it again.

i don't understand why Wintour thinks Hollywood will help her sell. Fashion is art, if you have an amazing photographer and an amazing model and insanely beautiful clothes, your cover will blow people's socks off even if the face is not recognizable by gazillion ppl worldwide! i can't understand why this is such a foreign subject to American Vogue.

It makes me sad that it is the most boring, bland Vogue of all the ones i've ever read or seen. To me, it can be often so easily mistaken for People that it just makes me want to shake W and put her brain back where it belongs.

Vogue is supposed to be about FASHION, not celebrity, so maybe they'll get their ad sales back once they make it exactly about that - visually and content-wise?

posted by MaddieG

Jun 25, 2009 11:12AM

Whether or not Sienna Miller and Blake Lively are in fact responsible for teh ad-decline of Vogue, I hope they take the rap. They are awful, and they make it painful to buy Vogue! I haven't bought an Elle in ages, but I think I might look into it...

http://moreboatshoes.wordpress.com/

posted by guest

Jun 25, 2009 12:24PM

this story matters as it is more about the publishing industry vs the internet and how we are at a precipice>>> an end of an era>>>

and this article is just bringing that to light,, that people need to SEE its an end of an era...

the old rules don't apply!>>> the internet is the great equalizer===

sites like theFashionSpot.com and RiotReport.com are the future...as they pool all the pundits and heads under one roof... for massive discussion... it used to be just the people at the top got to weigh in on fashion... but now everyone can chime in... to great appeal for fanatics such as myself!!!

the internet has, in a sense, democratized{at least leveled the playing field} the system >> just read http://www.riotreport.com everday,, you'll quickly see the new lay of the land.. how Vogue & Elle articles are given equal merit to articles by StyleBubble and FashionToast... AMAZING. this is how it should be.

and FYI i am completely addicted!!

posted by guest

Jun 25, 2009 12:54PM

what is wrong with you people its like comparing apples to oranges. Elle is such a type of magazie that is for the seventeen readers who grew up. Vogue was the fashion, high end and edgey stuff. Every since Vogue has been trying to be more approchable its lost its luster. I know that i pefer elle now over vogue because i just dont want to remeber a vogue that wasnt anything other then great.

posted by guest

Jun 25, 2009 1:45PM

Vogue brought real fashion to many a small town girl(and boy). It gave us hope and knowledge. Hollywood has way too many of it's own rags so skip the stars and starlets and gimme a super model!

As to Elle, well, I like ask E. Jean or in Elle Canada some 'intuitive' lady, Whatshername.The clothes are fine.

I never mind a good clever/beautiful/kooky ad campaign, all grist for the mill.However,now that there are so many alternatives(in the big city)I pick and choose my issues,never subscribe.

posted by guest

Jun 25, 2009 2:15PM

I agree with 3. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this month's cover choice. I bought the July Elle simply BECAUSE Gwen Stefani was on the cover.

posted by guest

Jun 26, 2009 2:11AM

MAYBE ITS BECAUSE ANNA IS TURNING VOGUE INTO A CHEAP VERSION OF HOME AND LIVING MAGAZINE. There is not enough fashion, too much lifestyle things. I buy vogue for the beauty and fashion, not on reports about how middle aged women went to some Mediterranean isle for a holiday, trying to act all posh and high class, you upper class freakos!

Vogue needs to step up its game, or it will find that it will just perpetuate a cycle of ugly editorial shoots with less advertising money as their major resource funding their shoots. Anna needs to set her mind straight. When she turns more into a human, the magazine suffers, when she is high on life and emotions and everything, the magazine suddenly turns into some better homes and gardens magazine. I liked the cold and alien like anna, she had a better focus on her creative direction and the shoots were beter quality. In the features section of the site, the only things there are about 40 year old women and their children - not exactly the thing that i want to read about.

posted by guest

Jun 26, 2009 4:48PM

LONG LIVE the IT.

How about a fashion site with photos and nothing else?

posted by grammyweezy

Jun 27, 2009 8:11PM

i think no. 9's comments are sad. the magazine industry is suffering a lot as a result of the internet, and although i obviously enjoy fashion websites, i still think it is important to support magazines, whether you prefer elle or vogue. they've been around for decades and it's sad to see them in decline :(
i wonder if we are the only ones who want to see less celebrities on the covers of vogue. perhaps vogue is banking on cosmo readers picking up an issue just because they see some celebrity on the cover that they love. i guess in tough times they have to do what they can to sell magazines.