It has been a week of milestones for the Better Homes and Gardens brand in Australia. The magazine celebrated its 40th birthday on Thursday last week and then just one day later the TV show broadcast its 1,000th episode.
To find out what makes the magazine keep ticking in Australia we spoke with editor-in-chief Julia Zaetta.
What is special about the 40th-anniversary edition?
The Better Homes and Gardens anniversary is a fabulous journey which takes us on an emotive and wonderful trip down memory lane. It shows us where we have been over the past 40 years and how we have celebrated the homes and lives of Australians with them. That has been the most exhilarating part of the issue. There are also the wildest celebration cakes and we’re capitalising on the number 40 with features including 40 great decorating ideas and 40 great ways to live your life – and more!
It’s an exciting look back to see how we’ve been involved in making people happy over the years with their special people and places. It’s heart-warming to see how much our audience cared for their homes and gardens and a delight to revisit the colours, styling and trends in relation to what they are now.
How has the readership of the magazine changed since it was established?
The readership of Better Homes and Gardens has become bigger and bigger – it just keeps growing! It’s because Better Homes and Gardens is such a much-loved and trusted brand. People love BHG and trust it for all sorts of reasons. They trust the brand because we give them so many good ideas and information they can work with. But they also trust us because they know and feel how much we care for them. And that’s what has kept us going too, that the readers know how much we love them.
Apart from the special features in the magazine, how is BHG celebrating the occasion?
We have been celebrating for months as we put together this edition. Joyously and coincidentally, the Better Homes and Gardens TV program celebrated its 1,000th episode on Friday night. The episode was full of the presenters taking us into their homes, their special places, to meet the people dearest to their hearts, their families. In the magazine we follow up those wonderful visits with a big pictorial special of them all, their families and their havens. It’s a truly beautiful feature.
What does this achievement say about the strength of the brand?
This issue is indeed a landmark. For me personally, as someone who has worked on the magazine for many years, the most amazing thing is that the brand is a celebrity in and of itself with a whopping recognition factor in Australia. People love it, trust it and know that we are doing this to make them happy. While we have 40 years to boast, there are another 40 years to come and 40 more, just getting bigger and better all the time. Happy birthday, Better Homes and Gardens. We love you!