Maxim editor promises girls for readers

LONDON (Reuters) - The new editor of Maxim is trying to win back readers in the competitive men's magazine market -- by getting them dates.


Greg Gutfeld, an American who was previously editor-in-chief at the U.S. magazines Men's Health and Stuff, has his work cut out for him as Maxim, among other monthly men's titles, comes under fire from two upstart weekly rivals.


"We went out and found beautiful women and offered the opportunity to appear in the magazine, but in return they have to date our readers," Gutfeld said.


Playing matchmaker between these women and men who could usually only dream of dating them is part of a strategy to regain some lost ground.


Maxim UK's monthly circulation has fallen nearly 7 percent since the beginning of the year, as Emap's Zoo and IPC's Nuts weeklies went from zero to a combined 2 million sales per month. The monthly men's magazines Loaded and FHM also took a hit.


To turn things around, Gutfeld is revamping Dennis Publishing's flagship title starting with the October issue, recasting the magazine to appeal to men who are tired of the same old "lad mag" formula.


"We realise things have to change. These magazines have been stuck in a rut for quite a while," he told Reuters.


"My assumption is that readers have seen everything by now, and it's time to get rid of this condescending male magazine psychology that men are really stupid."


Dennis Publishing's upscale lad mag Jack, which tried a similar strategy, was forced to close in July after it failed to find readers on the newstands.


Gutfeld said the two new weeklies that have nearly doubled the size of the men's magazine market were "more like tabloids than magazines."


"The blander you make it the more men you'll attract -- just do sex, gadgets, football and you'll get guys," he said.


"You don't have to be too smart about it. You show the football player with the shattered limb, the hot new car and the topless girl."


Gutfeld said the Maxim revamp will include a jokes page without actual jokes -- "I hate jokes pages because they remind you of the guy in the office who tells jokes, and he's never funny, he just annoys you" -- and a new section on dating called Little Black Book, which features 101 women willing to go out on a date with Maxim readers.


"It's a nice counter effect to what men's mags normally do, which is to show some incredibly beautiful woman who would never look at you," Gutfeld said.