Spring Break
The Daily OrangeStuff magazine editor shares insight on cover girl choices
By Jean Stevens
Posted: 12/1/04, 2:03 AM EST Section: Pulp
With lacy bras, glowing golden skin and pouty, sultry stares, Stuff magazine covers are hardly known for their headlines.
But beyond the makeup and underwear of the publication's pin-up photos rests the many criteria - and headaches - of selecting and scheduling the scantily clad celebrities who will grace the magazine's cover.
Mike Hammer, the magazine's editor in chief, spoke last night to students of the course Celebrity Journalism: Beyond the Red Carpet, or TRF 500. He discussed the qualifications and dilemmas of selecting cover models and offered insight into the inner workings of the magazine.
The selection of the cover model is especially important, Hammer said, because the cover is what attracts people to buy the magazine off the newsstand, and unlike most magazines, Stuff's survival depends on newsstand sales, as opposed to subscription sales. If an issue flies off newsstand shelves, advertisers pay attention, Hammer said, and will continue to purchase ads - but a person will only buy the magazine if he or she sees a cover model that attracts attention.
"We follow the three second rule," Hammer said. "We have three seconds to capture their attention. The cover model is the biggest sell of all."
In his simple PowerPoint presentation of the top 10 qualifications for selecting cover talent at Stuff magazine, Hammer explained that the featured women must not only be attractive, but somehow relevant to the target audience of 1.3 million readers of mostly men between the ages of 18 to 26. The cover models must also be women who are easily recognizable.
"But make sure they're not overexposed," Hammer said, as a recent FHM cover of a tight-abed Anna Nicole Smith appeared on the projector screen.
Hammer then clicked to a cover shot of Jennifer Lopez, clad only in ruffled pink boy-short underwear, her back to the reader.
"Make sure that they - or their caboose - is huge," Hammer said, adding that the J-Lo cover issue remains Stuff's best-selling issue.
But beyond the makeup and underwear of the publication's pin-up photos rests the many criteria - and headaches - of selecting and scheduling the scantily clad celebrities who will grace the magazine's cover.
Mike Hammer, the magazine's editor in chief, spoke last night to students of the course Celebrity Journalism: Beyond the Red Carpet, or TRF 500. He discussed the qualifications and dilemmas of selecting cover models and offered insight into the inner workings of the magazine.
The selection of the cover model is especially important, Hammer said, because the cover is what attracts people to buy the magazine off the newsstand, and unlike most magazines, Stuff's survival depends on newsstand sales, as opposed to subscription sales. If an issue flies off newsstand shelves, advertisers pay attention, Hammer said, and will continue to purchase ads - but a person will only buy the magazine if he or she sees a cover model that attracts attention.
"We follow the three second rule," Hammer said. "We have three seconds to capture their attention. The cover model is the biggest sell of all."
In his simple PowerPoint presentation of the top 10 qualifications for selecting cover talent at Stuff magazine, Hammer explained that the featured women must not only be attractive, but somehow relevant to the target audience of 1.3 million readers of mostly men between the ages of 18 to 26. The cover models must also be women who are easily recognizable.
"But make sure they're not overexposed," Hammer said, as a recent FHM cover of a tight-abed Anna Nicole Smith appeared on the projector screen.
Hammer then clicked to a cover shot of Jennifer Lopez, clad only in ruffled pink boy-short underwear, her back to the reader.
"Make sure that they - or their caboose - is huge," Hammer said, adding that the J-Lo cover issue remains Stuff's best-selling issue.
