Modcult

Monocle blurs, like no Western magazine I’ve seen, the boundary between advertising and editorial. Advertiser products and services are frequently mentioned in features, reviews and articles, without any indication that there is a business relationship involved. In almost every issue, cross-branded “advertorial” is delivered in the house design vocabulary, typeface, and copy voice. The product placement even extends to the (awful) manga, where it stands out like an orangutan with an erection at the office Christmas party.