Cover of Paris Match, plus 35 “pages for history” on the inside.
One of the first things that impressed me about Paris Match editor, Olivier Royant, aside from his energy and passion, is the fact that here is a journalist who still believes in the power of print, the impact of news photos, and who is convinced that even a weekly magazine can still surprise readers. “You just have to go after the special angle of the story,” Olivier once told me in his office as we discussed the rethinking of one of his magazine’s sections for the new Paris Match formula introduced in October 2008.
And go after the story he does, surprising readers and colleagues alike with his zest and devotion to storytelling both thorugh words and visuals. I have not spoken to Olivier this week, but I can only imagine what maneuvering it took to move printing deadlines to get 35 pages of photos and stories about President Obama’s Inauguration in Washington. The result is a stunning magazine, reminiscent of the best of the old LIFE, with the edginess of the best that TIME has got us accustomed to, and, of course, the legendary Paris Match style of breezy read, large enticing photographs, and narratives where Paris Match becomes part book.
Olivier’s formula is to be modern while applying the traditional journaistic tools that some have easily abandoned, convinced that print just can’t compete. Look at this week’s Paris Match and, like me, you will smile with the conviction that, if the editor believes it, print can be, indeed, eternal—-not to mention darn interesting, provocative and, yes, timely.
Bravo to Olivier and his team!
Meanwhile, in Brazil, O Povo does the Obama covers
Another one of our projects to feel very happy with this day: O Povo, published in Fortaleza, Brazil. Design Director, Gil Dicelli, sends us these two pages, a front and a cover of the Special issue devoted to the Obama Inauguration. Shows you that you can deviate from the routine formula, surprise the reader, and have some fun in the process. Good work.
To read TheRodrigoFino blog, in Spanish, go:
https://garciamedia.com/latinamerica/blog/
TheMarioBlog posting #174