• by Erik Sass  @eriksass1, February 2, 2012

SI Swimsuit Plans Sale To Benefit Environment

On seeing the tan beauties of the 2012 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue frolicking in the surf, the first thought of most readers probably is not concern for the delicate natural setting where these famous photo shoots take place.

But Swimsuit fans who are concerned about the well-being of the planet can do their part by patronizing an online sale hosted by Gilt and SI to benefit environmental conservation. The sale consists of items curated by SI for Gilt, including bathing suits, surfboards, event tickets, and photographs. All proceeds go to The Nature Conservancy, which will earmark the funds to maintain those pristine beaches.

The SI-Gilt sale will go live on Feb. 14, timed to coincide with this year’s Swimsuit issue hitting the newsstands, and will be promoted with ad placements in the magazine. The list of items for sale include limited edition Quiksilver surfboards and swimsuits from scores of designers featured in the issue -- many donated by the designers in keeping with the philanthropic spirit of the sale.

>Also for sale are 10 exclusive prints from the photo shoot, and tickets to this year’s Swimsuit launch parties in New York and Las Vegas, where fans can meet the models.

Separately, SI announced a partnership with DirecTV that allows readers to access video of photo shoots simply by holding their mobile device over pictures in the Swimsuit issue. Using digital watermarking technology from Digimarc, DirecTV and SI have partnered to create 19 such embedded videos throughout the magazine; the half-minute videos will be preceded by a DirecTV ad starring Kate Upton.

J.C. Penney Closes Clad

Not all magazine e-commerce experiments are guaranteed to thrive, or even to survive. This week brought news that Clad, an e-commerce site operated by J.C. Penney featuring men’s apparel and other items curated by the editors of Esquire, has closed down after just two months in business; according to Folio. Its last sale was held on Jan. 31, and the site will close  for good by April 27. The move comes not long after J.C. Penney made a strategic investment and partnership with rival magazine publisher Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia.

Back in 2008, Time Inc. touted its new Maghound platform as the future of print magazine sales, by letting consumers bundle single copies of different magazines for a discounted price. Now, despite its adorable logo, the magazine publisher’s startup subsidiary is over, per Folio. Time Inc. closed it to focus on its digital publishing strategy. Maghound had attempted to entice consumers with offers ranging from three titles a month for $4.95 to seven mags a month for $9.95, and featured titles from other publishers, including Bonnier, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, and Meredith Corp.

Harper's Bazaar Gets Redesign

Harper's Bazaar is getting a new, updated look beginning with its March issue, including a larger format and a “luxurious” feel, elevating the magazine to archival quality. Drawing inspiration from the magazine’s 1940s creative director, Alexey Brodovich, the new look was developed by Robin Derrick and Spring, in collaboration with Editor in Chief Glenda Bailey, creative director Stephen Gan and design director Elizabeth Hummer.

The larger size allows for more white space and an emphasis on the magazine’s signature typeface, didot, sometimes echoing images on the page, with photography mixing bold brights and atmospheric black and white images. New front-of-book sections include The List, This Month's Objects of Desire; Shopping List, with editors’ and contributors’ style picks; Wish List, in which a fashion industry insider tells what she covets; and the News, “Where Culture Meets Fashion,” giving a stylish take on art, film, books, and the trends to watch.