Promoting the "Vitality" of Magazines ~ "Magazine Festival '14" Campaign

Full-page advertisement published in national newspapers

The Japan Magazine Publishers Association launched "Magafes '14" on April 12 as a revitalization initiative for the magazine publishing industry. On the same day, in a first for the publishing world, nine publishers simultaneously released magazines under the banner "Super Issue," all in the same B5 variant size. Nine diverse titles—including women's magazines, children's gift catalogs, and family travel guides—leveraging each publisher's strengths, lined special sections in bookstores.

The Magazine Publishers Association also focused on promotion, launching a special website ( magafes.jp ) where readers could "browse" the Super Issues. On the release day and the following day, advertisements appeared in national newspapers to showcase the magazine industry's "vitality." Furthermore, approximately 3,000 bookstores nationwide displayed promotional posters for the Super Issues and held store decoration contests to boost the campaign.

On the 11th, the day before publication, a press conference hosted by the association was held at Sanseido Bookstore's Jimbocho flagship store in Tokyo, attended by the editors-in-chief of the nine magazines.
In his opening remarks, Chairman Takeshi Ishizaki (President of Magazine House) expressed his hope that this Magafes would revitalize the magazine industry, stating, "We want to sell magazines that make readers gasp, evoke empathy, and are regarded as 'inventions'." Yukoshi Yokokawa (Director of Magazine Sales at Kodansha), who has spearheaded the planning and promotion of Magafes as Chairman of the Association's Magazine Value Revitalization Committee, also expressed his strong commitment to the development of print media, stating, "We want this initiative to be the first step for Japan's magazine industry to survive the digital age and achieve further revitalization."

Japan Magazine Publishers Association Chairman Takeshi Ishizaki

Yukifumi Yokokawa, Chairman, Magazine Value Revitalization Committee, Japan Magazine Publishers Association

At the press conference, the editors-in-chief of the nine magazines each took the podium and passionately shared their thoughts on this special issue.

Editors-in-Chief of Each Publication Who Poured Their Passion into the Extra Issue

Scene from the in-store campaign at Sanseido Bookstore

 

The lineup of the 9 special issues is as follows.

『mer ＋ (Mer Plus) 』: Gakken Holdings
『 Rillia 』: Kodansha
『 Sprout 』: Kobunsha
『On y va 』: Shueisha
『Gift LEON for Kids 』: Shufu to Seikatsusha
『OmoTame.』: Shogakukan
『 LaLa Begin』: Sekai Bunka Publishing
『Traveling Overseas with Kids!』: Diamond Inc.
『Delicious Foods Delivered from All Over Japan』: Bungeishunju

Click here for the interview with Chairman Ishizaki and Committee Chair Yokokawa→