Guitar Aficionado Product Placement

The new magazine ?Guitar Aficionado? will carry ads for cigars, speakers, cars, and other brands.

According to Greg Di Benedetto, the magazine?s publisher, the publication is aimed?not at younger fans?but at older guitar enthusiasts who buy first-class guitars, liquor, cars, and watches.

Along with the coverage of guitars, the magazine also features Aston Martin automobiles and West Hollywood hotel Sunset Marquis. Di Benedetto says its ?product placement.?

However, many say that the advertising picture for luxury magazines is not very promising.

Stephanie Clifford of the New York Times cites an example: the ad pages at American Express Publishing?s high-end magazine Departures fell 43 percent during the first quarter of the year.

Plus, many magazines have bailed out on relying on luxury ads to bring in the revenue, this includes Conde Nast Portfolio, Private Air, and Trader Monthly. 

Di Benedetto said that the magazine?s quarterly publication schedule will help it with the ads. He said, ?It?s a completely different picture. Trader Monthly or Portfolio are victims of the times because it?s not really fashionable to tout the Wall Street trappings of success.?