Best Magazine Covers 2017: Michael Downs, Maxim & It GiRL

Editors select their most significant covers from the past 12 months.

Michael Downs, Nuclear Media MD, Maxim & It GiRL

This is my favourite Maxim cover ever. It was our highest-selling issue in the last couple of years. But this is not the only reason for it being a favourite cover. Casey [Boonstra] is a non-celebrity cover model, who we found through our own Maxim Australian Swimwear of the Year competition, and she outsells top celebrities. This was her third cover. It’s a nice reminder in the age of celebrity that the most important thing for a men’s magazine is having a beautiful woman on the cover – no matter who it is. A picture is worth 1,000 words, as they say.

I love this cover of It GiRL too. It’s vibrant, fun and everything It GiRL stands for. It also came out at a time when we successfully negotiated It GiRL’s launches in South Africa and UK, so I feel like it also represents a turning-point in the evolution of the brand. Despite the declining print market, It GiRL has grown every year since its launch in 2012. It’s an amazing Aussie success story.