Economist Shows Signs Of Intelligent Life As Luxury Ad Budgets Rise

The Economist has published the first edition of its high-end Intelligent Life magazine on its new quarterly schedule. The re-designed publication, which had two previous outings on an annual basis, covers “an eclectic range of issues, from travel to the arts and from fashion to philanthropy”; it’s larger and features more photojournalism. A similar, London-based title, Monocle, was launched in March by former Wallpaper* publisher Tyler Brulee, who, in the WSJ, reckons The Economist is now trying to take a chunk out of his sales. WSJ notes that both launches are precipitated by increasing ad budgets at luxury goods makers (Intelligent Life features ads for sports cars, fancy watches and hi-def TVs), but editor Edward Carr tells The Independent it’s just as much a guide to philanthropy. With a 175,000 print run (via Print Week), the magazine is available in the UK, Europe, Middle East and Africa, on newsstands at £4.95 or via subscription. A supporting website at MoreIntelligentLife.com comprises blogs on arts and travel plus tantalising PDFs of selected articles from the printed edition; the site carries no ads.