New (and improved?) Runner's World

[Fielding Mellish]

Radical redesign in April issue of Runner's World Magazine. Probably inevitable once Amby Burfoot was replaced as editor in chief last summer. New art director responsible for all this formerly with Entertainment Weekly.

[platinum]

Re: New (and improved?) Runner's World

So when is T&FN getting it's facelift? They redid the masthead a couple of years ago but that's all.

[kuha]

Re: New (and improved?) Runner's World

Don't confuse cosmetics with quality.

[My Azz]

Re: New (and improved?) Runner's World

To quote the great Chris Farley in Tommy Boy, "The reason why they have a guarrantee on the box is because they know all they sold you is a guarranteed piece of shit. Hell, I can take a crap in a box and slap a guarrantee on it for you, if that's what you want."

[dl]

Re: New (and improved?) Runner's World

I have no insider info, but my guess would be that RW's parent company is trying to make it more and more into a "Men's Health" type of publication. No one's getting rich on hard core running/track publications.

[az2]

Re: New (and improved?) Runner's World

I guess the RW transition means the running BOOM is officially over??

[platinum]

Re: New (and improved?) Runner's World

Sorry, but T&FN could use a redesign beyond "cosmetics" as you put it and make the mag more reader friendly. Stats and info are lost amid a sea of text . Interesting features ("On Your Marks", Status Quo") could be moved to the front of the book. Headlines are dropped willy nilly on photos in red (always red) text. And can we bump up the perfroemnce lists to a text size someone over the age of 30 can read?

While Runner's World has become nothing more than a catalouge for shoe ads, TF&N could use a new look. There's no reason why the "Bible of the Sport" has to look as old as a Bible.

[kuha]

Re: New (and improved?) Runner's World

I actually prefer the T&FN of the 1950s, which was dense with type (typewriter type, at that), and had a few mediocre b&w photos. It was just crammed with information--and designed like B. Rabbit's Briar Patch--off-putting to outsiders, but warm and cozy for those in the know.

[platinum]

Re: New (and improved?) Runner's World

yes...just the kind of publication we need to reach out to a new generation of athletes instead of old geezers. Why don't they just steal the design from The Yellow Pages?