The Atlantic, The Economist Try Clever Ads To Attract Readers

A FINANCIAL crisis, two wars, a presidential election. ... When there is so much for readers to think about, how do magazines aimed at thoughtful readers attract their attention?

One such magazine, The Economist, is spoofing the game Twister, distributing pizza boxes that improbably bear its name and sponsoring a performance of political satire by the Second City theatrical troupe.

Another such magazine, The Atlantic, plans to advertise on the muffin displays in bodegas, restaurant menu boards and the shampoo shelves of drugstores.

In seeking readers and advertisers, publications like The Atlantic and The Economist, known as thought-leader magazines, have long tried to make up in cleverness what they lack in wallet power. Their ranks also include magazines like Harper's, Mother Jones, The Nation, The New Republic and The New Yorker.

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