Presentation about VICE magazine and Vice Media Inc. (January, 31st 2013) for the course CMNS 2160 Mass Communication and the Popular Culture Industry at Thompson Rivers University (TRU). VICE magazine content included in the presentation is property of Vice Media Inc. If the copyright owners disagree with its publication, contact me and I'll remove it.

1. ORIOL SALVADOR VILELLA
CMNS 2160 Mass Communication and the Popular Culture Industry

2. What is VICE?
We wanted to be the first international
voice for the universality of youth sub-culture.
(Shane Smith, VICE co-founder)
Ø Monthly FREE magazine
Ø Profits: advertisement & partnerships.
Ø Target: metropolitan 21-24 years old.
Volume 19 (Number 5)
a.k.a
HIPSTERS -->
Demographics (Media Kit 2012)

3. What is VICE?
Ø 750 employees.
Ø Offices in 34 countries.
Ø 24 different country editions.
World Distribution
(Media Kit 2012)
Volume 19 (Number 5)

4. VICE ’s timeline
Shane Suroosh Gavin
Smith
Alvi
McInnes
Volume 18 (Number 2) 1994:
Three friends bought the community
newspaper where they were working:
Voice of Montreal.
Photos from: Canadianbusiness.com, MySpace and Twitter

5. VICE ’s timeline
1996:
Editors break with the original publisher
and change the publication’s name to VICE.
1999:
VICE moves headquarters to New York.
2007:
Volume 18 (Number 2) Partnership with Viacom (MTV). McInnes
leaves VICE due to “creative differences”.

6. VICE ’s contents
Generally:
Ø Alternative lifestyle
Ø Trends
Ø Music
Ø Fashion
Ø Sex
Ø Photography
Ø Illustration
Volume 18 (Number 11) Ø Sports
Ø Technology
(…)

7. VICE ’s contents
Ø DO & DON’Ts
Volume 18 (Number 11)

8. VICE ’s contents
Ø Content shifting to serious news topics
(Afghanistan, North Korea, OWS…)
approached in a non-conventional way.
Volume 18 (Number 11)

9. VICE ’s contents
Ø Music, films and videogames,
aggressive and unconventional, reviews
Volume 18 (Number 11)

10. VICE ’s contents
Ø Special issues:
Ø VICE UK’s Student Guide (2005)
Volume 18 (Number 11)

11. VICE ’s buddies
New friends for the international trip:
Ø Tom Freston (former CEO at Viacom)
Ø Joe Ravitch and Jeff Sine
(The Raine Group, investors)
Volume 18 (Number 12)
Ø Martin Sorrell (WPP, advertising firm)

12. The VICE empire
VICE Films:
Heavy Meal in Baghdad (2007)
Full-length documentary following
Acrassicauda, the only heavy metal band in Iraq.
White Lightnin’: The Jesco White Murders (2008)
with Ed Hogg and Carrie Fisher, directed by
Dominic Murphy. Co-produced by UK Film Council.
Volume 19 (Number 4) The Ride (2009)
Documentary following
the Professional Bull Riding Circuit.

13. The VICE empire
VICE Films:
The Fourth Dimension (2012)
Three short films by three directors.
Co-produced with Grolsch Film Works.
Full-length film available for FREE on YouTube.
Bad 25 (2012)
Spike Lee’s documentary about Michael Jackson.
Co-produced with Grolsch Film Works.
Volume 19 (Number 4)
(…)

14. The VICE empire
VICE DVDs:
Series VICE Guide to Travel
(“60 minutes meets Jackass”).
Skate series Epicly Later’d (2009)
(…)
Volume 19 (Number 4)

15. The VICE empire
VICE Books:
- Travel city guides & photography collections.
- Greatest hits and DOs & DON’Ts compilations.
- Heavy Metal in Baghdad, by Andy Capper
and Gabi Sifre, based in the 2007 documentary.
Volume 19 (Number 4) (…)

16. The VICE empire
VICE Music:
- Music label: VICE Records
- The Raveonettes
- Black Lips
- OFF!
- Win Win
- Acrassicauda
Volume 19 (Number 4) - Management Agency
- Music video production
(…)

17. The VICE empire
VIRTUE:
- VICE full-service agency:
ü Brand strategy.
ü Creative development
ü Production
ü Distribution
ü Research
Volume 19 (Number 4) - North America headquarters: Brooklyn, NY
- Europe headquarters: Shoreditch, London

18. The VICE empire
More:
- MTV’s The Vice Guide To Everything.
- Custom publishing for brands.
- The Creators Project (partnerhip with Intel)
- Noisey (music website)
Volume 19 (Number 4)
- Motherboard (technology and science)
- Fightland (fight and martial arts)
- AdVICE (digital publishers)

19. Conclusions
Ø Alternative and controversial voice
appealing to audiences unsatisfied with
the content from mainstream media.
Ø VICE build a defined audiences and
found advertisers looking for that target.
Ø Money not only from advertisement but
Volume 17 (Number 9) from derivate business and products.
Ø A hipster media empire that is turning
‘mainstream’ (just like Rolling Stone)?