brilliant, inventive, surprising and fun. Consider this small sampling of
remarkable innovations that could not exist were it not for their print platform:
Flaunt, a US fashion and culture magazine,
recently showed off a few print-only tricks for its ‘Denim Issue,’ including everything from a tangible free gift tucked into the back pocket of a pair of printed jeans to a booklet-inside-a-book and a pull-out map. The majority of Flaunt’s innovations and interactivity utilised old-school print technology, proving that good old ink and paper still have the ability to create fun, dynamic magazines even in the digital age. (Besides, an actual free gift, as opposed to a download-and-print voucher to redeem later for a free gift, is instant gratification.)
Aside from other print-only tricks
– including scent (perfume samples), regionally-produced covers, and the use of stickers – print also offers publishers
the opportunity to push boundaries and experiment with new forms of storytelling in a way that digital-only cannot.
agency JWT, and Brazilian magazine Capricho ran an especially innovative campaign to celebrate the one-year anniversary of Coca-Cola.FM. Readers could roll up the magazine and, using a pre-cut slot, insert their iPhone into what had become a tube acting as a remarkably powerful iPhone amplifier. Use the Layar code on this page to see how they did it.
Luxury car company Lexus, working
at the intersection of print and digital, took print campaigns to a new level with its new CinePrint technology. Cleverly taking advantage of the translucency of a magazine page, CinePrint created a video to be played on an iPad with the iPad placed beneath the magazine page. Within seconds, lighting, sound, and animated effects created the feel of a television ad