Soutar free men’s weekly seeks ad agency

Shortlist, the freesheet being launched by former IPC Media executive Mike Soutar, is looking for an advertising agency for a brand campaign.

The men’s weekly magazine, which will be launched on September 20, has already entered preliminary talks with two ad agencies. Soutar’s plan will be to launch an above-the-line campaign in the first quarter of 2008.

Soutar says: “The focus right now is getting the distribution right for the launch and the advertising will happen next year. We are talking informally with agencies and my first instinct is not to do a television ad. By next year, we will know about the perception of the brand, and have some kind of relationship with our consumers, which will dictate what shape the advertising takes.”

Shortlist will carry news, current affairs and editorial aimed at 18to 35-year-old ABC1 men. The initial print-run of the freesheet is thought to be between 530,000 and 570,000 copies every Thursday.

The venture is backed by some heavy-hitters, including film-maker Matthew Vaughan, French Connection founder Stephen Marks and publisher DC Thomson, who are financing Soutar’s new venture with £7.5m.