Mags: CLEO (Guest Review)

Out with the old and in with the new, CLEO has had a makeover. GWAS contributor Rochelle Zaknich gives us her verdict...

Relaunching a magazine inevitably comes with a high degree of risk. It costs a lot of money, requires staff to work crazy-long hours, and means that all eyes will be on you. This month, I’d say CLEO has nailed it. The August issue is perhaps the first to properly show readers what the magazine will be like under the editorship of Sarah Oakes and I. LOVED. IT. (This seems like the right place to mention that I am in no way affiliated with CLEO, ACP, or any other acronyms that may render me biased).

Mia Freedman recently wrote about her old life as the editor of Cosmopolitan, and commented on how much harder it must be to sell a magazine to today’s Gen-Y, do-everything-online, have-to-have-it-yesterday audience. In a world where we can read up-to-the-minute news, browse for clothes, and look at 5-minute-old celebrity photos online (and for free), it would seem that there’s not a whole lot of reason to spend $7 on a magazine. But rather than appealing to our sense of nostalgia (remember ye olde days when you would see an outfit or celeb photo for the first time in a magazine?), the new CLEO completely embraces its tech-savvy audience. We get web addresses next to any clothes that can be purchased online, a feature about making sure Facebook doesn’t take over your real life, web stores that Carrie Bradshaw would have in her favourites, and one writer road-tests online money-making schemes. Heck, even the spine has gone all Facebook on us (‘CLEO is…embracing change’).

In her editor’s letter, Sarah tells us, “…this month at CLEO we’ve dedicated all of our energy, love and attention into making some celebration-worthy changes to the magazine.” The ‘Customer Satisfaction Survey’ shows some of the reader feedback received in the lead-up to the relaunch and gives the status of each request – for the most part, ‘Complete’. Pop psychology tells us that Gen-Yers love to have their opinion heard and receive instant gratification – something that is not lost on the obviously clued-up Ms Oakes.

The ‘CLEO Honestly Policy’ outlines the new editorial policies straight up. We get the CLEO take on all manner of issues, including health, sex and dating, images, models, endorsements, animal cruelty, stories, contributors and, er, you. On images: “All the photographs in this magazine are Photoshopped (it’s part of the printing process), but we pledge never to alter images (stretch, shave or enhance bodies) without first declaring it.” A cool concept and one I’ve not seen before. I didn’t find any of these ‘disclaimers’ anywhere in the mag – did anyone else?

According to the ‘Customer Satisfaction Survey’, 49% of CLEO readers want more fashion, and it’s evident throughout the issue that the team have taken this on board. Labels are newer, edgier and the selection much more diverse (I hope this doesn’t put any of the advertisers’ noses out of joint!). There must be double the pages dedicated to fashion, and though it seems very different from the always-wearable, on-trend direction of Jo Ferguson, the magazine seems no worse off for it. The editorials are fresh and a little more left-of-centre than usual, which, for me, is a very welcome change.

The features seem meatier and more meaningful this month – there isn’t a sealed section or article about one-night stands in sight (okay, so there’s an article about superheroes as sexual personalities…but it’s kinda cute). ‘Cheat Your Emotional Future’ is a positive, affirming story about treading your own path and defying what we might consider genetic or inherent traits. Writer Bessie Recep says, “While we unconsciously take in messages, behaviours, values and attitudes from observing our environment, acknowledging the bits you don’t like or agree with is the first step in the right direction.”

Other highlights for me: David Smiedt on man-zilians and the perils of shacking up – he’s always fun to read and is so much more entertaining in this forum than Madison (enough with the crime! But I digress...). I was convinced that someone was playing a joke on me when I flicked over to ‘I Have Sex With My Car’ (are the pages glued together?!). I couldn’t not read it, but if you’d prefer not to, I can tell you that it involves an obviously sexually confused 20-year-old guy and, ahem, an exhaust pipe. I’m really truly not kidding.

An honourable mention must definitely go to the ‘CLEO Body Honesty Campaign’ – I’ve seen it before in Mia Freedman’s (yes, I kind of love her) Body Love Policy at Cosmopolitan but, hey, loved it then, love it now. A slew of readers feature in their Bonds and Davenport undies, and there’s definitely no ‘Photoshop disclaimer’ in sight. CLEO promises never to write about celebrity diets or fads and generally does a great job at selling the message of empowerment and diversity to its readers.

There are so many cool new sections and stories I haven’t even mentioned, so before I enter really-long-word-count territory, I’ll quickly recap some of my other highlights:

*‘Radar’ replaces ‘Hottest, Newest, Latest’ as the front-of-book section. Yay for more books and a mention of Beverley Hills 90210.
*‘Is Your Hairstyle Ageing You?’ – it ain’t gonna change the world but it’s a visual treat and really does prove its point.
*‘CLEO’s Guide to Office Politics’ – we’ll all relate to something in here. Funny too.
*‘The Pretty vs Smart Problem’ – looks very ‘poor pretty girl’ but poor pretty girl actually has interesting stuff to say!
*‘Couples vs Singles: who’s happier?’ – two CLEO staffers weigh in on the debate and both make excellent cases.
*‘Spring Fever’ – a delectably pretty beauty shoot guaranteed to make you lust for spring and the lovely new palettes that come with it.
*‘Career Profile – Zoe Foster’ – does anyone not love her?

I’m incredibly impressed with the new CLEO. I think it is such a great step in the right direction and will serve its readers so much better than the CLEO of old. Ms Oakes seems to have brought over a few Girlfriend-isms (a clear message of empowerment, tech-savvy articles, pretty-girl styling), but from my point of view, they have been appropriately directed at her new audience and add to CLEO’s value. It’s been a long time since I’ve been genuinely and pleasantly surprised by CLEO (well, the jaded, hard-nosed magazine cynic in me would probably say that applies most magazines!) but, in my eyes, the team have done a sterling job of reinventing a flailing title. I look forward to tracking even more positive changes next month!

Overall excitement factor: 9
Feel-good factor: 8
Eye-candy rating: 5

The Stats
Issue: August 2008
Book size: 188 pages
Inside front cover: Maybelline
Back cover: Maybelline (again!)
FOB ads: Covergirl, Clinique, Revlon, Rip Curl, Converse, Valley Girl, Rimmel
Editor: Sarah Oakes
Publisher: ACP/PBL Media
Website: www.cleo.com.au

Yours truly,
Girl With a Satchel