Swanny Magazine off-breaks the mould
There’s arguably no more colourful character in English cricket right now than Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club's Graeme Swann, so it was only fitting the magazine we produced to celebrate his Benefit Year should break the mould too. While keen to ensure a good chunk of content remained faithful to the traditional format of such a publication, we were also given licence to introduce a modern twist.
Presented in a contemporary handbag-size format, we attempted to get into the head of Swanny with quirky, feature-led content clustered in sections that corresponded with what matters most to England's spin king. These include his favourite foods from around the cricket-playing world, bizarre sports to have a crack at, family, and his beloved Newcastle United!
The 124-page magazine was released to coincide with Graeme's glitzy launch event and will be used as a season-long tool to increase awareness and help raise money for four local and national charities.
Cover star: Graeme Swann photographed by Sam Bowles.
The cover shot of the magazine was commissioned through the Portrait Collective, and has been treated in both colour - for the main cover design - and in black and white, for a short run of Limited Edition copies... ideal for the addition of the main man's signature.
Tasked with ‘doing something different’, BowlesAssociates' editorial and design team combined to plan the magazine, with major pieces on Graeme’s parents, Ray and Mavis - exclusively photographed at home in Towcester in a Hello! style-e; the meeting of three cricketing minds in the Nottinghamshire dressing room as we reunited three of the 2005 Championship-winning team; and a real treat of an interview with iconic England footballer Peter Beardsley - one of Swanny's own boyhood heroes.
A second strand to the project sees a portion of the content used to support a website delivered by our good friends at Distinction, further enhancing the promotion of what is already proving to be an exciting Benefit Year.
