Continuing today’s birthday theme, renowned American magazine Esquire has announced that it will mark the ongoing strength of its 75 years in publication by embracing electronic paper, a digital technology for the future, through its upcoming October issue.
Esquire celebrates 75 years of publication with new digital paper technology. Image: E Ink.
According to Esquire, a joint collaboration between carmaker Ford and the E Ink Corporation for the cover of its forthcoming October 2008 edition will see the magazine emerge as the very first print publication to embed revolutionary electronic paper display (EPD) technology.
The EPD embed will be implemented via the magazine’s inside cover, which will prominently feature a double-page advertisement for the new Ford Flex Crossover sports utility vehicle (SUV). The advert will be relayed through E Ink’s Vizplex flexible paper display technology, and those who purchase a copy of the October issue will see Ford’s Flex presented through scrolling imagery and wording as opposed to a traditional static composition.
“This cover is both a breakthrough for magazines and an expression of the theme of our anniversary issue,” commented David Granger, editor-in-chief for Esquire. “We’ve spent 16 months making this happen as one of the ways we’re demonstrating that the 21st century begins this fall. The entire issue is devoted to exploring the ideas, people and issues that will be the foundation of the 21st century.”
Esquire and parent company Hearst Corp. first approached E Ink in the summer of 2007 with a view to developing a print-compatible version of its electronic paper technology -- which is more likely to be seen in products such as Amazon’s popular electronic book reader, the Kindle. According to Ford, it joined Esquire’s 75th Anniversary project looking to present its daring new Flex Crossover “in a way we could never previously have imagined.”
Jim Farley, Ford’s vice president of marketing and communications describes the Vizplex delivery partnership as an industry first, saying: “Ford has a long and rich history of breaking down barriers and bringing to market new technologies for the masses, so this opportunity fits our brand perfectly.”
Of course, applying such radical new technology into a massively popular publication doesn’t come cheaply, and those Esquire readers eager to secure a small slice of print history may have to invest a little more time and energy into their purchase than they’re accustomed to.
Moreover, Esquire will only be distributing 100,000 issues of the Vizplex-equipped October edition, which will be available in limited amounts through select U.S. newsstands along with stores such as Borders and Barnes & Noble.
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