Pacific Magazines ditches print for new online mag

Red Zero will be available online from the beginning of August and will not have a printed edition. The title will retain the content and appearance of a printed magazine, with the website to contain an application that simulates the flipping of a magazine page. The mag is targeted at women aged between 16 and 29 and will cover traditional editorial content like beauty, travel, fashion, entertainment and celebrity news.

Pacific Magazines claims it will make full use of the potential of the e-mag medium with the new publication, offering readers the chance to go beyond the simulated pages and view additional content like music clips, movie trailers, TV commercials and additional photographs.

L’Oreal was the first company to book advertising in Red Zero and the Target division of Coles Myer is investing $1 million in the magazine, with Pacific Magazines planning on promoting it through existing women’s titles in its stable like Marie Clarie, New Idea and Famous.

A number of fringe e-mag titles have been delivered over the internet while existing newspapers and magazines have launched online editions of their traditional printed products, but Red Zero represents the first mainstream title to be released by a major publisher in Australia without any form of printed component.