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Byline: GORDON YOUNG

Less than two months after Wal-Mart stopped selling Maxim, Stuff, and FHM because of their racy content, the nation's largest retailer is adding a decidedly unsexy new magazine to its shelves. American Magazine found a home in more than 2,000 Wal-Marts when it launched late last month, and subsequent issues will snag coveted space in some stores' checkout counters.

"I think it's huge for us," says Mignonne Wright, the 29-year-old editor and publisher of the family-oriented magazine out of Memphis that dubs itself a 21st-century version of The Saturday Evening Post. "Wal-Mart felt like this was a magazine they'd be proud to provide for their customers."

In this case, "huge" may be an understatement. Wal-Mart accounts for 15 percent of all single-copy sales in the United States, according to some industry executives. "Let's face it, if you're not in Wal-Mart, you're not doing business in this country," says media buyer Carol McDonald of OMD Chicago.

And how did fledgling American Magazine end up in Wal-Mart? Wright gave store reps a three-minute pitch over the phone and was invited to make a presentation at Wal-Mart headquarters in Bentonville, Arkansas the next day. "We hopped in our cars and drove as fast as we could," Wright says. "It says a lot that we're in Memphis. We're not a big New York company. We made one phone call and they said, 'Come on by.' "

AM seems like a perfect fit for Wal-Mart. Its upbeat content celebrates the "positive aspects of life in America." That means steering clear of religion, politics, and, basically, anything remotely controversial. When dealing with such potentially divisive subjects as racism in America, AM will focus on the positive. "If we do a story on a Muslim family or on immigrants, it won't be from the negative slant," Wright explains. "It's not going to be about what someone has against them. It's going to be what they overcame or what's special about what they do."

In the July/August launch issue is an essay that defines the essence of America, a profile of cable TV show "While You Were Out," a guide to family vacations in Florida, and a primer on how to throw a block party. On a "Wish List" of consumer items are a barbecue grill, mosquito repellent, and a picnic basket. A strong component of the magazine will be reader-driven, like the story of a woman who took up belly dancing to lose weight and envisions herself "dancing for a king, or maybe the next Mr. Right."

In each issue, the magazine will spotlight a charity and donate 10 percent of net proceeds from subscription sales to the organization while that issue is on the stands. In return, charities like the March of Dimes and the Humane Society are expected to tout the magazine in newsletters and on the Web. "I'm a firm believer in what goes around comes around," Wright says.

The premiere issue has a guaranteed ratebase of 100,000 and carries 21 pages of advertising. Among the advertisers are America West Airlines, Pentax, and Capital One.

Given the nation's current patriotic mood of the moment, the timing for AM seems opportune. "You couldn't find a better time to launch something like this," says OMD's McDonald. "The content is not sophisticated. It's all about the heartland and basic American values. Laura Bush would probably invest in this magazine."

MAG STATS

American Magazine

Launch date: June 24

Company: American Publishing

Frequency: Bimonthly

Target audience: Women, ages 25 to 48

Subscription: $15.00

Newsstand price: $3.99

Ad rates: $8,000 for full-page, four color

Editor and publisher: Mignonne Wright

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