W+K Delhi brings out its own magazine ‘Motherland’

Wieden+Kennedy Delhi has announced the launch of a new magazine titled ‘Motherland’ which will throw light on trends, issues and ideas, all emanating from contemporary Indian subculture.  The first issue is based on the theme ‘Freedom’: the stories include how Indians behave on airplanes, an encounter with spiritual guru Osho, Tishani Doshi’s journey to Antarctica and a photography feature by Bharat Sikka, among others.

The agency aims for the magazine to be one for collectors.  The editorial team will work under the creative direction of V Sunil and editorship of Annette Ekin. The target audience is said to be a diverse group comprising people in their 20s to 50s, who are progressive in their various fields, key influencers and are constantly seeking out new products and stimulating experiences.

Mohit Jayal, managing director, Wieden+Kennedy Delhi, said that this was purely a Delhi initiative. “At W+K, we are obsessed with pop culture and we’re seeing a lot of change in Indian society,” he explained. “Instead of mining it for insights, we wanted to bring these sub-groups and cultures to the attention of people.” The Motherland team and the agency will be entirely different teams, with separate P&L structures (although they will be housed within the same office). Jayal also asserts the businesses will mostly stay independent in the editorial content. “Our clients are major advertisers and in that they have been very kind as partners, but the integrity of the editorial will be 100 percent,” he stated. “At most, the advertising pages will be vehicles for brands.”

V Sunil, executive creative director, Wieden+Kennedy, Delhi, said, “We're trying to be what other magazines are not. Except for a couple of regional or weekly magazines that go deeper, general interest magazines are just general interest. India has such a large population where every corner has a new culture and there's so significant publication for that.” Speaking on the design of the Motherland, he added, "The design references are inspired from the Indian currency note."

Motherland will be priced at Rs 100 and published bi-monthly initially. It will be available at select newsstands, bookstores, boutiques, art galleries and at the airports of major Indian cities, including Delhi’s T3. There will also be a website www.motherlandmagazine.com and an iPad version is in the works as well.