Green lifestyle magazine Ecolife published for the first time
Ecolife, the sustainability and lifestyle magazine announced months ago, was published for the first time on Sunday. This marks the beginning of a new wave of green magazines in Switzerland. The magazine itself consistently focuses on intertwining trends and sustainability.
The sustainability and lifestyle magazine Ecolife, which was announced months ago, was published for the first time on Sunday. This publication marks the start of the series of so-called Lohas magazines (Life of Health and Sustainability) in Switzerland. Green is in, and Ringier and the Beobachter have also announced similar publications. Ringier plans to launch SI Grün on October 27, while the Beobachter will launch its magazine at the beginning of 2009.
Ecolife, which has the subtitle "consciously living beautifully", aims to appeal to an environmentally aware, but also lifestyle-conscious consumer group. It wants to reach a target group that has increasingly emerged in recent years following the "jute instead of plastic" phase of the green movement. Editor-in-chief Paul Stierli writes in the editorial for the first issue that despite all the sustainability, we should not forget to enjoy our own lives and live beautifully. "Not so much renunciation, but conscious consumption is the order of the day." In terms of content, Ecolife offers a wide range of lifestyle topics that have been dipped deep into the bath of sustainability in line with the magazine's concept. In terms of food, there is information about Bindella's terroir concept, in terms of living about an energy-saving house, in terms of fashion about the trend towards organic labels and in terms of energy about a solar power project in North Africa. On the "Personal" page, Paola Ghillani, former Managing Director of Max Havelaar Switzerland and now a consultant for strategy and sustainable corporate management, has her say. The Green Pages conclude the magazine with two publicity reports from advertisers and an industry index.
The visual appearance of the magazine is probably the most divisive aspect. The layout is restrained, sometimes rather sparse. Some will see the serious claim of the magazine in this, others will find it too staid. Unfortunately, the magazine exudes the charm of a health insurance brochure rather than that of a fun-loving lifestyle magazine. One would have wished the makers a little more courage.
The magazine, published by Profilepublishing in Wetzikon, appeared on Sunday with a proud first print run of 160,000 copies and was enclosed with the NZZ am Sonntag as a promotional measure. The 48 pages include almost eleven pages of advertisements from the usual suspects such as Coop Naturaplan, Erdgas, Bank Coop, Max Havelaar and Biosuisse. Ecolife will be published quarterly - on FSC-certified paper, of course.
Michael Koller
Ecolife, which has the subtitle "consciously living beautifully", aims to appeal to an environmentally aware, but also lifestyle-conscious consumer group. It wants to reach a target group that has increasingly emerged in recent years following the "jute instead of plastic" phase of the green movement. Editor-in-chief Paul Stierli writes in the editorial for the first issue that despite all the sustainability, we should not forget to enjoy our own lives and live beautifully. "Not so much renunciation, but conscious consumption is the order of the day." In terms of content, Ecolife offers a wide range of lifestyle topics that have been dipped deep into the bath of sustainability in line with the magazine's concept. In terms of food, there is information about Bindella's terroir concept, in terms of living about an energy-saving house, in terms of fashion about the trend towards organic labels and in terms of energy about a solar power project in North Africa. On the "Personal" page, Paola Ghillani, former Managing Director of Max Havelaar Switzerland and now a consultant for strategy and sustainable corporate management, has her say. The Green Pages conclude the magazine with two publicity reports from advertisers and an industry index.
The visual appearance of the magazine is probably the most divisive aspect. The layout is restrained, sometimes rather sparse. Some will see the serious claim of the magazine in this, others will find it too staid. Unfortunately, the magazine exudes the charm of a health insurance brochure rather than that of a fun-loving lifestyle magazine. One would have wished the makers a little more courage.
The magazine, published by Profilepublishing in Wetzikon, appeared on Sunday with a proud first print run of 160,000 copies and was enclosed with the NZZ am Sonntag as a promotional measure. The 48 pages include almost eleven pages of advertisements from the usual suspects such as Coop Naturaplan, Erdgas, Bank Coop, Max Havelaar and Biosuisse. Ecolife will be published quarterly - on FSC-certified paper, of course.
Michael Koller
