Today we sent out a press release on Valentine’s Day search activity, which included “love poems,” and “flowers.” For those unattached men, there is a consolation prize for not having to buy flowers and chocolates – the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition was released today, with a significant online presence. Online features include free videos, iTunes videos for sale, cell phone pictures, instant messenger icons, extended photo galleries and of course a desktop calendar. The print issue is the most widely read single issue of any magazine in the world, and will be seen by 60 million people, according to the New York Times. The videos, which are available for purchase on iTunes at $1.99 each or $9.99 for all eight, will certainly further enhance the Sports Illustrated brand as well as add an additional source of revenue.
The Swimsuit issue also serves as a significant career launching point for many models. Last year, searches for the following models sent the most visits to Sports Illustrated for the four weeks ending March 5, 2005: Carolyn Murphy, Marisa Miller, and Petra Nemcova. With all three back this year, who will be the most popular swimsuit model in 2006?
In a few weeks I’ll provide an update.