ESPN Body Issue 2012: Analyzing What Makes Magazine so Intriguing

ESPN's Body Issue hits newsstands on Friday, and its arrival is highly anticipated. The magazine features some of the sporting world's most famous athletes in uncommon positions.

ESPN already announced their cover athletes. You can check them out here, but they aren't the only thing that make this magazine entertaining.

Let's check out why this magazine is so intriguing.

Something for Everyone

Sports Illustrated's Swimsuit edition only features women. ESPN's Body Issue poses men and women, so everyone's interested.

This was a smart idea from a marketing standpoint, and it makes each edition more intriguing. Using athletes from male and female sports increases your demographic and gives more people incentive to check out the magazine's pages.

It's only in its fourth year, but ESPN's Body Issue looks like it will feature the world's most mentioned athletes for many years to come.

Artistic

The artistic side of this periodical is spot on. Each model is expertly positioned, and the photography itself is done in a hyper-creative way that really grabs your attention.

This isn't just "eye candy." This is art. Photographers who've honed their craft put on a magnificent display in ESPN's montage of athletic models.

Not only does this make ESPN's magazine intriguing, it makes unique. It's done in excellent taste, and that can be a fine line to walk.

New Possibilities

Like I said, this thing is only in its fourth year. They are just breaking ground on where they want to go with it, and the exact directions they want to take.

I'm not saying the magazine is going to change a lot. The concept is too simple, but they can expand on the ideas.

Sports Illustrated's Swimsuit edition is old news, but everyone likes something new. ESPN's Body Issue is the new kid on the block.

That alone makes it intriguing.