Sharp magazine launches, looking for a piece of men's market

Yet another newspaper-carried glossy men's magazine has dropped out of the Globe and Mail today. As reported here earlier, Sharp is the brainchild of former partners in Driven -- with which they will be going head-to-head -- and seems remarkably similar in content and design: fast cars draped with gorgeous women; chunky and expensive watches and other toys; yet another spread on men's suits (has there ever been man who went out and bought a suit based on a magazine fashion spread?).

The controlled circulation is 150,000 copies and the magazine plans to publish 5 issues in 2008 and 6 in 2009. The partners in Contempo Media are publisher John McGouran, editorial director Michael La Fave and creative director Laurence Yap.

The launch issue's cover features Leo Rautins, the coach of Canada's national basketball team. (Curiously, the magazine seems so unsure that we'll know who he is, despite the main coverline, that they run a photo caption on the cover, too, to drive home the point.)