GQ announces "Change Is Good"

GQ today announced a first of its kind collaboration: Change Is Good. All 21 editions of the Condé Nast title will devote their iconic September issue to the refrain that change is good, and imperative for a better future. The 21 markets are: Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Korea, Latin America, Mexico, Middle East, Portugal, Russia, South Africa, Spain, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, the UK, and the US.

Each issue, as always, is specific to its respective market, but follows the theme of the Change Is Good manifesto, conceived by the global editors of GQ. The manifesto is as follows:

Masculinity is a work in progress — and change is the way ahead. GQ has been changing since 1957. For 50 million global readers, GQ is a trusted friend, encouraging changes in the way we live, face the day, and influence the world around us. With a renewed emphasis on diversity, gender equality, sustainability, and mental health, GQ will continue to push forward. Because change is good.

“Since 1957, GQ has been the magazine that shows men how to be cutting edge, progressive, ahead of the curve,” says US editor in chief Will Welch, who also devoted his editor’s letter to the initiative. “To be ‘GQ’ has always been to fearlessly embrace change. So I’m thrilled that my peers and I could align globally and use our platform to advocate for a more inclusive and sustainable future. The very evolution of the GQ brand is proof that change is good—and it’s more powerful when we all say it together.”

“Yes, we’re a men’s media brand, but more and more, GQ represents a sensibility: an openness to personal evolution, an embrace of newness, and a desire to more thoughtfully navigate your place as a citizen of the world,” says Middle East editor in chief Adam Baidawi. “GQ has always played a role in shaping the zeitgeist—and my peers and I are committed to use that influence for positive change.”