The current September issue of Harper's Bazaar is dedicated nationally and internationally to the cover topic "Icons under 30" and portrays young, strong characters who impress with their resumes.
Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures – even for magazine makers and Oscar winners. When normal photo shoots became impossible due to pandemic restrictions, creative thinking became the order of the day. German Harper’s Bazaar is the perfect example. The magazine worked closely with Hollywood superstar Charlize Theron, her team and artist Marc-Antoine Coulon to produce an opulent, illustrated cover and fashion shoot for the August issue (published 8 July 2020). Theron’s blockbuster “The Old Guard” is available to stream on Netflix from 10 July.
Charlize Theron was thrilled by her cover
Editor-in-chief Kerstin Schneider underlines how strongly the editorial team felt about maintaining the magazine’s upmarket look and maximising creativity during this challenging time. And what about Charlize herself? Well, she was absolutely delighted: “You guys are so smart. I was really impressed when this was sent to me. This is so innovative, I like it!”
Positive trends in circulation and reach despite coronavirus crisis
Harper’s Bazaar was named “Magazine of the Year” at the European Publishing Awards 2020, and is enjoying a positive sales trend despite the coronavirus crisis. Retail turnover is currently up 11.1 percent. The June/July issue – which featured “Germany’s Next Top Model” Jacky on the cover – boosted sales by 28 percent, making it the best-selling issue of the year once again. Things are also going very well for the website www.harpersbazaar.de is currently recording its best ever numbers, with 3.7 million visits and 1.3 million unique users (sources: IVW online and AGOF June 2020).
“I am particularly happy that our discerning readers appreciate our magazine for its high-quality text and images, and are rewarding our editorial team for their hard work with increasing sales.”
Kerstin Schneider, editor-in-chief of Harper’s Bazaar