« Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo, Mexico | Main | To Buy or Not To Buy »
March 15, 2005
Plenty?
D handed me a magazine called Plenty while we were passing the time in the Houston airport last week. At first glance, I thought it was a teen magazine and gave D a look. The title was an almost offensive shade of green, and a scantily clad model was karate chopping a comic-book-style superhero. They both have speech bubbles but I couldn't make heads or tails of it. I stared at the tagline: "Smart living for a complex world" and still couldn't figure it out.
Turns out that Plenty is a well-written, interesting magazine aimed at 20- and 30-somethings concerned about environmental issues. The mag was practically written for me. There were articles about solar and hydro power, ecotourism (with 10 write-ups of exotic spots), "green gear," and eco-friendly fashion. The articles are all well-researched, fun, and easy to read. There were short pieces on estrogen in the waterways, hybrids, florescent lightbulbs, and global warming. If someone does something about the design team (or is it the marketing team? The title and tagline are confusing, too), Plenty could certainly find an audience with the hordes of young Whole Foods customers.
Okay: Just checked the site again and they've released another issue with another odd cover (but great content). I don't get it -- this isn't Maxim. At least the neon green is gone.
What does "Plenty" refer to, anyway?
Posted by csageday at March 15, 2005 12:16 AM
Comments
You shouldn't judge a book (or magazine) by its cover.
As for the title: the Earth has "Plenty" to offer us as long as we take care of it? You can be concerned with protecting the environment and consume at the same time! (otherwise, there wouldn't be many advertisers).
Posted by: D at March 16, 2005 12:18 PM
Funny, I was just talking to someone about how Real Simple does the same thing -- it's founded on the principle that you can simplify your life, but a good deal of the mag is devoted to things you can buy.
Posted by: csageday at March 16, 2005 01:15 PM