Who Did it Better? - Design Bureau

Esquire & GQ

 

9 Comments

  1. Hallie
    May 11, 2011

    While Esquire’s type is tops, GQ’s visible flash is so out of place on a magazine cover that it really holds my eye.

    Reply
  2. Molly
    May 12, 2011

    Esquire’s cover seems to be far too cluttered, and the “Kelly” text written in white gets lost in her abdomen. By choosing a photo that is more focused and shot closer up, GQ draws the reader in.

    Reply
  3. Peter
    May 14, 2011

    Let’s be honest. Megan is way hotter but Brooks boobs look better!

    Reply
  4. Paul Everett
    May 16, 2011

    Esquire made a better job, their typography is design space is far superior, I feel like CQ is fighting to get all the information in there. However Esquire amount of copy is over the top. Question who sold more copies?

    Reply
  5. Mike
    May 18, 2011

    I agree with Molly that the Esquire’s cover is a bit cluttered, however visually I’m more drawn to Esquire cover more so than the GQ cover.

    Reply
  6. urbanizr
    May 18, 2011

    the red bikini top and orange backdrop are in a strong color-conflict

    Reply
  7. Mike Mai
    May 18, 2011

    sorry i didn’t see anything except for the rack, good job esquire. also, did they do too much airbrushing? looks a little weird.

    Reply
  8. nipplenizer
    May 18, 2011

    where is the nipple? Esquire !!!!!!!!!

    Reply
  9. Kirk Voltz
    July 2, 2011

    I’m going with GQ, not because its a better cover… indeed, they are nearly identical… but because I am so utterly disappointed in Esquire’s redesign. They took a book which typographically was light-years ahead of everyone else, and brought it back to a baseline set by the likes of MAXIM, FHM, and the like. It’s not that the redesign is bad, it isn’t. It is well executed and beautifully detailed in places. The problem is that visually it does not differentiate itself from the competition any longer. It used to be able to dish out sex, style, and life in a manner so elegant, you would feel out of place if you didn’t have a 30 year old scotch in your hand and a dinner coat on your back while reading it. Now, it is nothing more than another men’s lifestyle magazine to add to an already bloated playing field. And. All that aside. You chose to duplicate your direct competitions cover as the launch cover of your redesign? Shame on you Esquire.
    GQ, well done on being yourself, and being original.

    Reply

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Who Did it Better?

Wednesday, May 11th, 2011

It's a men's magazine showdown. Back in October 2008, waifish Transformers actress Megan Fox wagged her tongue on the fire-truck-red cover of GQ. Now, for its June 2011 issue, Esquire has turned to Kelly Brook, best known for her work in movies like Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo and Piranha 3-D, for a similar cover. We want to know, from a design perspective, which publication does it better? Vote below, and let us know why in the comments.

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