Gourmet Traveller is celebrating its 50th birthday and its “most commercially successful edition ever”.
The Bauer-owned title secured Chanel, Omega, Audi, Vittoria Coffee, Louis Vuitton, Tiffany and Co, Tequila brand Patron, Rolex and Nespresso for the milestone issue. Estee Lauder invested significantly in a three-page gate fold advertorial, adding to the largest issue ever of Gourmet Traveller at 276 pages.
Editor-in-chief Anthea Loucas Bosha, who has been editing the magazine for 13 years, says with food playing a central role in Australian pop culture, Gourmet Traveller is reflective of the evolution of the category.
“The success of Gourmet Traveller is not so much about us, but rather Australia and the great strides we’ve taken in what we are eating and cooking. When it came to planning this issue we wanted to reflect the evolution of the Australian food and travel industries and celebrate the pioneers that came before us and shaped the food scene we enjoy today,” Loucas Bosha says.
Loucas Bosha was speaking at a celebratory event held today in Sydney.
Gourmet Traveller's three-page fold out cover
Cornelia Schulze, publisher of the specialist division at Bauer Media, says Gourmet Traveller has grown into much more than a magazine since 1966, spanning into digital, restaurant and hotel guides, cook books, events, Chinese editions, cruising specials, bespoke touring and merchandise.
“People question how brands are hanging on in the challenged industry but it’s about time we change that narrative. Yes we publish magazines but what we really do is connect with audiences and tell stories and neither of those two functions will ever go away. They are part of human nature and as long as we are part of those things we have one hell of a future,” Schulze says.
“Gourmet Traveller is much more than a magazine and brand in its own right. It goes beyond traditional pushing channels and carries significant different revenue streams.”
Bauer has developed a range of homewares that it is promoting in the latest issue of Gourmet Traveller. The collection is also available through Myer stores. Schulze says the range has already doubled order expectations from retailers.
As well as paying homage to the trailblazers in the industry, the magazine looks to the next generation of chefs who will take Gourmet Traveller to the new frontier.
“We continue to deliver a quality product in a world where quality is becoming marginalised. We have a dead fast commitment to quality at Gourmet Traveller. It’s not about vanity publishing and I think that’s what sets us apart from our competition,” Loucas Bosha says.
Gourmet Traveller is not the only magazine to tape the gate fold advetorial cover, with Donna Hay also launching a two page gate fold for its grand birthday edition.
Have something to say on this? Share your views in the comments section below. Or if you have a news story or tip-off, drop us a line at adnews@yaffa.com.au
Sign up to the AdNews newsletter, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for breaking stories and campaigns throughout the day.