Weight Watchers ditches airbrushed models for ‘real slimmers’ on cover
Weight Watchers is doing away with airbrushed models on its covers as part of a redesign led by new editor Jennifer Connell.
The 21-year old magazine claims to be the only consumer title in Australia to feature real women on every cover from now on.
The July cover features 24-year old school teacher Penelope Strachan.
“From July onwards, they’ll be no models on the cover. We want to keep it real,” Connel told Mumbrella, who joined Weight Watchers from NewsLifeMedia in March. “They’ll be real slimmers with not a shred of airbrushing.”
“There’s been a lot of talk but not a lot of action on moving towards reality in magazines. We’ve been listening to what our readers want and have responded with a greater dose of reality,” she added.
The redesign sees Weight Watchers broaden its focus to include a younger audience. The new-look magazine will feature bite-sized chunks of information, new fonts, colours and photography.
At News, Connell was manager of editorial special projects, running Body + Soul one-shot magazines and brand extensions for Inside Out and Country Style.
I think they probably stopped airbrushing 15 years ago.
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It seems odd to me that slim women are somehow not ‘real’ women. I wonder how that makes them feel.
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Maybe they should only feature models who have slimmed down using the Weightwatchers diet?
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@ I Wonder. I think the readers of this magazine are predominantly members of Weight Watchers that want to read “real success stories”. By placing a slim model on the front it doesn’t lead you to believe the information inside is relevant or obtainable. They want to see that their investment in this program will yield results, not just a stock photography shot of a model on the cover. It’s like buying bridal magazines… the most popular sections are the “real weddings” section. Readers want to be inspired by ‘real life’. It doesn’t mean slim models aren’t “real”. Their just not relevant for this publication.
I say well done to WW.
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I say…. why the hell were they even using models and airbrushing in the first place?! One of those good news announcements that shows just how bad their practises have been for so long.
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