GQ’s digital overhaul delivered a premium editorial experience and transformed its ad business without compromising its brand.
ChallengeGQ’s website was completely out of step with its readership and the quality of its print counterpart. The digital experience failed to showcase the magazine’s rich photography, high-end creative, and distinctive voice. On the business side, its advertising model relied on basic banner ads with poor viewability metrics, limiting revenue potential. GQ and Condé Nast needed a best-in-class digital platform that reflected the brand’s editorial excellence while enabling a more premium ad strategy.
ActionAs part of Wondersauce, we overhauled GQ’s site to fully celebrate its deep content library and distinct personality. We built a flexible editorial system that allowed stories and photography to shine, with layouts that showcased long-form content, rich visuals, and GQ’s unique voice. In parallel, we designed a proprietary ad framework that improved viewability by ensuring strategic placement and timed exposure, allowing advertisers to achieve higher ROI and enabling GQ to command premium rates. The design and technology work required close collaboration with GQ’s in-house team to ensure both editorial and business goals were fully integrated.
ResultThe relaunch delivered immediate impact. Readership increased significantly in the first year following launch, driven by a digital experience that matched the magazine’s editorial standards. On the business side, Condé Nast achieved near-100% ad viewability with a double-digit increase in viewability ratings, unlocking new revenue opportunities without degrading user experience. The project reestablished GQ’s relevance online and provided a scalable foundation for both content and commerce.
