While reading this month’s Bon Appétit magazine, I spotted this ad that pictured Michael Phelps and the above copy. The ad seems to be widespread as I have also seen it in People and Entertainment magazines. The leaders of five major magazine companies—Charles H. Townsend, Condé Nast; Cathie Black, Hearst Magazines; Jack Griffin, Meredith Corporation; Ann Moore, Time Inc.; and Jann Wenner, Wenner Media, along with the Magazine Publishers of America, worked together to develop the “Power of Print” campaign.

Here is the poem:

We surf the Internet. We swim in magazines.

The Internet is exhilarating. Magazines are enveloping. The internet grabs you. Magazines embrace you. The Internet is impulsive. Magazines are immersive. And both media are growing.

Barely noticed amidst the thunderous Internet clamor is the simple fact that magazine readership has risen over the past five years. Even in the age of the Internet, even among the groups one would assume are most singularly hooked on digital media, the appeal of magazines is growing.

Think of it this way: during the 12-year life of Google, magazine readership actually increased 11 percent.

What it proves, once again, is that a new medium doesn’t necessarily displace an existing one. Just as movies didn’t kill radio. Just as TV didn’t kill movies. An established medium can continue to flourish so long as it continues to offer a unique experience. And, as reader loyalty and growth demonstrate, magazines do.

Which is why people aren’t giving up swimming, just because they also enjoy surfing.

What does it mean?

Obviously, publishers are trying to maintain themselves as a relevant and unique product on the market, which they are. Despite declining print sales, publishers should embrace the digital world while preserving the print realm. Consumers will only stop buying magazines that fail to adapt. They must continue to provide unique and creative content while participating digitally. The possibilities are endless and should open up new revenue sources. I think this campaign is elegant and the poem is almost perfect. Love it.