With the publication of the second issue of FREUDE.FOREVER, BMW's corporate magazine, the renowned car manufacturer dives into a world full of optimism, innovation and anticipation of what may come. The magazine not only strikes an enthusiastic note, but also critically reflects on the challenges of our time, the importance of social responsibility and the courage to pursue ground-breaking ideas.
At the heart of FREUDE.FOREVER No. 2 is the question of the nature of the new. The editorial emphasizes that the new does not only arise through the creation of something that did not exist before. Rather, it is hidden behind challenges that require a new perspective. "It takes open-mindedness, courage, flexibility and a willingness to go against those who say something is impossible," says editor-in-chief David Barnwell.
An immersive experience
Symbolic of the exploration of the new is a flower sculpture that adorns the embossed cover and also exists in digital form as an augmented reality experience, accessible via QR code. This artistic creation by the Icelandic collective Fischersund represents the increasingly hybrid world of innovation at BMW, which blurs the boundaries between the physical and the digital. It was created in collaboration with Franziska Goppold, Director Design. "It offers an immersive experience that blurs the boundary between the physical and digital worlds and appeals to the senses beyond the sense of touch," she explains.
Interact and experience anew
Franziska Goppold, who together with her team was responsible for the entire concept, idea, layout and implementation, whets the appetite for both worlds with her colorful, space-consuming editorial design. The team wanted to experiment with the idea and perhaps also the limits of new print design in order to push the monothematic "The Neue New" to its limits: "What the magazine of the future could look like. How stories can be elevated to different levels and perspectives and how we can delve deeper into them," says Goppold.
For her, there is no question that readers will be more and more interactively involved in the future - and thus make print products more appealing to those who are otherwise more digitally oriented, "by allowing them to experience a magazine on a completely different level and even interact with it". So it's not just print fans who get their money's worth here - the voluminous chlorophyll-leaf green Gmund Bio-Cycle paper is used for the cover, for example - the digital world is also artfully woven in.
The magazine's structure is based on the seven human senses and features experts - such as fermentation prodigy David Zilber in the "Taste" section or the artist duo Mixantrophy in "Sight" - who share their individual perspectives on the new in their lives and work - from the art of floristry to revolutionary approaches to sentient machines and prostheses in the world of sport.
The magazine is published by the LOOPING GROUP, whose vision of elegant magazine journalism and storytelling for BMW's corporate publishing has already won several awards.
All pictures are by Roderick Aichinger
Dominik Wichmann from the Looping Group spoke at our Print and Design Conference in fall 2023 about how print products remain relevant. Click here for his keynote.
