Monkey switches to celebrity covers

by Robin Parker, Media Week 02-Apr-07, 12:00

LONDON - Dennis Publishing has ditched risqué ‘real' girl covers for its digital men's weekly Monkey in favour of celebrities as it gears up for a redesign of the title.

It is now running bought-in magazine-style shoots that flag up video content within Monkey cut together for the magazine.

Carmen Electra and Christina Aguilera are among the first stars to feature on the new-look covers.

James Mallinson, Monkey's publisher, said that while readers identified with real girls, the cover formula had become tired and repetitive.

He added that they did not reflect the topicality of a weekly magazine, a criticism he also levelled at print titles Nuts and Zoo. "It's about looking ahead into the news cycle and seeing who will be big this week," he said.

An interactive element in which readers vote for a girl they would like to see feature in Monkey, previously flagged up on the cover, will run inside the magazine until November.