Wallpaper*, the iconic design magazine that continues to break new ground, made news last year when it turned 20 and published its beefiest issue yet. This summer, they are making a statement yet again.
“We’ve always championed the multisensory wallop of print, the tactility and touchiness of it, the particular pop it gives to the best photography, the creative potential of the page design, the heart-lifting heft of the physical thing (and we have gotten very hefty recently),” writes Tony Chambers, Brand & Content Director, in the editor’s letter.
“But in light of current concerns, I felt it worth alerting you to another plus for print,” Chambers continues. “This issues of Wallpaper* — as with all previous editions – will not drill into your data vaults nor sniff along your digital trail. It will not take your details and auction them off to the highest bidder. The transaction’s simple and transparent. We give, you receive.”
The witty message relays a much deeper truth; print is a non-intrusive, non-exploitive experience by its very nature.
Print doesn’t care where you are, what pages you visit, or who you share it with. It’s no picnic lately on social media, and the unquenchable thirst for your data is not going away, leaving many of us feeling like we all work for Facebook.
A print magazine, Chambers wants us to know, asks for none of this. That’s not to say that the brand doesn’t engage on digital platforms. Print and digital can peacefully coexist to help build brands, as evidenced by their own social channels.
“We are far from digital deniers,” Chambers explains. “We just believe that the printed magazine remains a vital, evolving medium – with all manner of side benefits,” one of which is the decided lack of data harvesting.
To help spread that message, Wallpaper* is launching their #dataharvestingsafezone campaign, and encouraging “fellow champions” to join in. If you publish in print, you might want to consider doing this too. Print is a lot of things to a lot of people – and now it’s officially a #dataharvestingsafezone.
I love it.