Rolling Stone Deutschland hits newsstand jackpot with free Prince CD insert

Uncommon gifts distributed with consumer magazines usually have a resounding success. This seems to be once again true for Axel Springer, the publisher of Rolling Stone Deutschland, whose last issue, which came out on July 22, included the latest Prince CD “20ten” for free with all newsstands copies.  According to the publisher, this issue was sold out in most parts of Germany in no time – even though the print run had already been increased by 50% for the occasion. The magazine usually prints about 90 000 copies a month.

In comparison, only 55 000 copies of the music and society magazine  were sold in newsstands in the 2nd quarter of the year.  The print edition is expected to boost the current issue’s figure into the six-figure arena.  Exact numbers are not being made available by its licensed publisher Axel Springer Verlag.

Consumers get a copy of their favorite magazine + a new unreleased CD by a major artist only for 6.99 € this time (instead of Rolling Stone’s usual €5,50 copy price).  This issue of Rolling Stone also included, in addition to the CD,

France: Courrier International to insert free Prince CD with July 8 issue

Courrier international, the French newsweekly aggregating major news from the world’s leading newspapers and magazines (translated into French), will distributed the latest Prince CD for free along with its July 8 issue in France.

This newsstands copies of Courrier international will include Prince’s latest album called “20ten” and this will coincide with the artist’s upcoming European tour over the Summer. It is the first time ever in France that an artist uses this kind of promotional partnership with a publication.  Prince already pulled something similar with the Mail on Sunday paper in the UK back in 2007 for the release of Planet Earth, which was very successful in terms of buzz.

Courrier International will be sold for its usual cover price of €3,50 but will have a higher print run that day (130 000 newsstands copies will be distributed). The weekly’s 2009 average circulation was 194 517 copies, of which 38 149 in newsstands. 

This promotional ploy will be rolled out in other international markets with Rolling Stone Deutschland also inserting Prince’s latest CD with its July 10 issue, as well as The Daily Mirror in the UK and Het Nieuwblad in Belgium.

Addendum 08/07/10: Courrier International came out today but sans the latest Prince CD. What happened? Well, it turns out the music diva has decided to postpone the French release of its CD and so will its promotional ploy with the press. No later date has been communicated however.