After 60 years of covering the British royal family, Hello! launched a Canadian edition last week with a cover story about the closest Canuck equivalent: the Trudeaus. The first issue of the Rogers Media-produced entertainment weekly has a cover price of $4.95 and a goal of 25,000 newsstand sales. It’s chockfull of ads from such biggies as P&G, L’Oreal, Revlon, Chanel, Dior, CTV, Alliance Atlantis, Lacoste, Calvin Klein, Toyota, Nissan and Cadbury.
Publisher Shelley Middlebrook says she expects advertiser enthusiasm to continue, and that the magazine will introduce itself with a big splash during the Toronto International Film Festival. There will be a celebrity-heavy launch party at U. of T.’s classy Hart House, and the mag is teaming with Alliance Atlantis, Air Canada, the Fairmont Royal York Hotel and Yves Rocher to present a prize package of a trip for two to attend the festival. Hello! is also contributing Jeanne Lottie purses to the fest’s VIP loot bags, and joining with Rogers to promote events in support of One by One children’s charities, with actor Matt Damon hosting the kickoff event during TIFF.
Advertisers in the new Canadian edition will benefit nicely if it leverages Hello!‘s top-notch profile and track record of producing celeb news in its 10 other editions around the world.
