Mariposa, Beatriz Milhazes, 2004. Photo credit Sérgio Guertini courtesy of Galeria Almeida & Dalr: ©2014 Beatriz Milhazes
Fendi and Giorgio Armani looked to Niche Media’s special-edition imprint for Art Basel Dec. 4-7 to promote their residential properties during a time frame when numerous wealthy individuals flock to Miami Beach for the annual art festival.
Totaling nearly 300-page magazine includes advertisements from fashion and jewelry brands as well as a bevy of real estate developers and luxury high-rises that are populating the Miami area. Due to the influx of affluent individuals, many of whom own multiple homes, creating a special-edition publication full of real estate options during the popular Art Basel may spur continual growth in Miami.
“The magazine is 300 pages cover to cover this year which is about the same as last year, however in 2014 you see the presence of very high impact advertising units that bolster overall revenue growth,” said Courtland Lantaff, Niche Media’s group publisher of Art Basel Miami Beach magazine and Ocean Drive magazine, Miami. “Ad pages have increased annually since 2011.
“[In Art Basel Miami Beach magazine] developers are showing off their high design aesthetic, contemporary arts’ initiatives, luxury amenities and the affluent lifestyle of living amongst the beauty of the environments they are creating,” he said.
“This is the prime time of year to also display their dedication to the arts to a highly concentrated audience of the most affluent demographic in the country who are all interested in high design and contemporary art.”
Art Basel Miami Beach magazine, a custom title, has been published once a year annually for the past 13 years. With 25,000 distributed copies, the imprint acts as an official collector’s edition and source to the weekend’s events.
Niche Media publishes monthly regional lifestyle magazines in 11 markets: Aspen, Co, Austin, TX, Boston, Washington, New York and during the summer months, the Hamptons, Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami, Philadelphia and Las Vegas. In total, its publications exceeds 14,000 pages and distributes 4.6 million copies nationally per year.
Move-in ready
Art Basel Miami Beach magazine opened with an inside front cover effort by Swiss watchmaker Ulysse Nardin for its Skeleton Tourbillon Manufacture.
Ulysse Nardin’s inside front cover effort
Additional front of the book efforts included jeweler Tiffany & Co’s holiday campaign, women’s fashions and handbags by Prada and menswear by Ermenegildo Zegna. Other efforts included the Miami Design District, the nearby Aventura Mall and real estate brokerage Douglas Elliman.
Prada effort
Italian fashion house Fendi looked to the Art Basel Miami Beach magazine to promote both its current line of fashions and its Fendi Palazzo residences developed in collaboration with Chateau Group.
Set to open in 2016, the 12-story, waterfront Fendi Palazzo will house 58 residences and will be located two blocks south of the Bal Harbour shops. The units range in size from 3,300 square feet to more than 7,700 and in price from $5 million to $22 million (see story).
Fendi Palazzo promotion
Pages later, Louis Vuitton showed off its “Iconoclast” collection opposite the table of contents as did Versace with its handbags. The four-part content listing was also positioned against ads by Roche Bobois and La Perla.
Within the well, brands such as Vacheron Constantin, Bulgari and Lavin shared their wares with readers of Art Basel Miami Beach magazine.
It was within the content pages that Giorgio Armani sought to promote The Residences by Armani Casa. Also expected to be move-in ready by 2016, the oceanfront tower was developed by architect Cesar Pelli and features 260 residences just north of the Bal Harbour.
Ad for The Residences by Armani Casa
To give those visiting Miami a sense of real estate development in the Floridian city, real estate developer The Related Group included a pop-up of residential towers in the area. Featured towers, some of which doubled as advertising partners in the issue, included Hyde Suites & Residences Midtown Miami, Armani Casa Residences, One Ocean, Icon South Beach and SLS Lux Brickell.
Digital version of The Related Group’s pop-up ad
Within the issue Sotheby’s, Corcoran and Douglas Elliman shared properties currently listed. The issue ended with an outside back cover by Italian design brand Poliform.
Content in Art Basel Miami Beach focused on trends in the art industry, artist profiles and exhibit overviews.
Meet me in Miami
Miami is quickly shedding its identity as a market with narrow appeal, and affluent consumers from all over the world are now looking to buy units.
According to Miami real estate broker at Douglas Elliman and star of Bravo TV’s “Million Dollar Listing Miami,” Chris Leavitt, new cultural centers, restaurants, retailers and other attractions are contributing to the sense of a cultural upgrade (see story).
For example, Douglas Elliman is mustering top agents to handle sales for the final undeveloped oceanfront property on Miami Beach.
Interestingly, lead agents Oren Alexander and Mr. Leavitt will target ultra-affluent consumers from the Northeast, especially New York, an area where the duo have strong relationships. The boutique condo projects will feature 13 custom residences ranging in price from $10 million to more than $50 million (see story).
The appeal of Art Basel and the recent real estate developments has altered affluent consumers view of Miami. Advertisers have responded to the uptick in Miami’s popularity by being seen in regional publications that cater to the affluent and their interests.
“South Florida expects over 75,000 visitors this week to experience Art Basel Miami Beach and the focused art initiatives that surrounds the region,” said Mr. Lantaff. “Advertisers take a high stake in this magazine to be adjacent to the most thoughtful and curated editorial content culled by celebrated editors and the most respected contributors.
“The magazine is distributed within the Art Basel Miami Beach fair as well as at the leading, luxury hotels in Miami and Miami Beach and at the most important museums, art collections, galleries, luxury retailers and exclusive events,” he said.
“Art Basel Miami Beach magazine is the ideal forum to showcase each brand to the world’s most sought-after, affluent demographic and places it into their hands.”
Final Take
Jen King, lead reporter at Luxury Daily, New York