PC World appoints Creative Direction

PC World, in partnership with Microsoft, has appointed design and marketing consultancy Creative Direction to produce a customer magazine after a three-way pitch.

The publication will be an aspirational lifestyle magazine/catalogue hybrid.

It will focus on seven heroes highlighting how digital technology with the new Microsoft Windows Vista operating system is an integral part of their world.

Using ordinary people in everyday situations, the magazine will demonstrate the very real benefits and importance of technology in everyone's lives.

The magazine targets families and will feature dramatic real-life photography with interview-style editorial.

In addition to the lifestyle elements, it will focus on a variety of hardware and software products from different manufacturers which are available at PC World stores.

"The team at Creative Direction was really excited by this design challenge; we certainly did not want to create another standard catalogue which would be consigned to the waste bin", said Debbie Bough, Client Services Director, Creative Direction.

"We wanted an eye-catching publication which would be a compelling read in its own right and would have an identity of its own beyond the functional remit of being a list of products for sale".

PC World and Microsoft were both impressed with Creative Direction's approach to the publication: "It was vital for us that the magazine was interesting and that the agency created innovative ways of showcasing the product without obviously shoe horning it in".

"Creative Direction's proposals were innovative and impressive and as we have worked with them before we knew we could trust them to deliver," said Microsoft's Mark Klein.

This first issue of the magazine will be published at the end of May and will be distributed direct to target customers.

It is expected that future editions will be available in store.

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