It's always something to look forward to at this time of the year: the summer edition of Monocle Mediterraneo.
This Monocle Med is the usual grouping of essays, photos, travel tips to some of the most exotic and glamorous spots in the world, culture, business, fiction, and the most attractive double page ads in a newspaper anywhere. I am assuming that Tyler's team, the ultimate protectors of detail and everything chic, have tons of participation on what type of ads get into Monocle Med. There is NOT a badly designed one in the mix. They all attract. They all enhance the content of the newspaper. I found myself stopping to look at the ads–isn't that the idea?
I asked Monocle Med publisher, Tyler Brule to summarize for me what's new in this summer's edition:
'The latest Monocle Med packs an extra punch this season with a hot new yellow pantone and a few subtle design tweaks. Perhaps the biggest story is our move into fiction with a specially commissioned little mystery set on a sunny Greek isle. For those who want to work on their tan we're also offering our story as a downloadable audio program as well via Monocle 24.'
A celebration of print, but designed for those with digital mentality and habits
While Monocle Med is a celebration of print for people who are celebrating life on the slow lane in the world's most glamorous spots, I sense that it has been designed with a digital mentality.
For example, I like that Monocle Med offers a front page that is a complete visual navigator, promoting stories with such seductive headlines as “Greeks do it outdoors with the lights off”, “Ciao power: how to become an Italo-pop disciple,” “Pitti boys: what we discovered at Florence's menswear showcase,” “Stand out in the sun”.
Where else, but on a made-for-your-beach enjoyment newspaper, would you find such nuggets of useful info as: The Science of Unwinding (a rundown of the crucial factors that must be considered when planning a perfect day at the beach)—here you will discover that if you are working on your tan, you should reach for Angstrom spray, named after 19th century scientist AJ Angstrom–an invisible I talian sunscreen that suits any skin type.
You can also meet the “holiday helpers”, such as a young and “tireless” lifeguard from Lebanon, or a fisherman in France who pushes out the boat for locals.
Mediterraneo is printed on heavier paper stock that one would find in any newspaper. It's more like a magazine in every way, including the page layouts. Designers here go for a uniform look, combining grids of narrow and wider columns, and utilizing the heavy contrast of big and also very small photos.
Because everything here is “beachy' even the fiction is a short story exclusively written for Mediterraneo titled Murder mystery in the Isles.
I applaud Tyler Brulé for bringing the relaxing world of a printed publication to the beaches of the Mediterranean. I always wonder when he will start doing Monocle Atlantico and Monocle Pacifico.