Bravo. History of a sixty-year-old magazine for the youth

illustration: Bravo.de and instagram.com/bravomagazin/

Ten years after World War II ended, Europe was regaining normalcy, and in Germany itself, society was slowly getting used to the division into zones and learning how to function within them. While the western part was better off than the east and Khrushchev was making threats and issuing ultimatums over West Berlin, Germans were trying to live normal lives.

The generation of war children had grown up and, like teenagers everywhere, cared more about music, sports and cinema than politics. They were especially fascinated by the last of these. American films showed a different world, beautiful women and fast cars. In 1956, two journalists in Munich - Peter Boenisch and Helmut Kindler - decided to tap into that fascination.

Kindler, in addition to being a journalist, owned his own publishing house, Kindler Verlag. Boenisch, who at the time was head of public relations at Northwest German Broadcasting (NWDR) in Hamburg, was working on the Kinderluftbrücke project (an airlift and vacation program for children from families that had fled to West Berlin), which Kindler’s publishing house promoted. That’s how the two men met and came up with the idea for a youth magazine.


The first issue appeared on August 26, 1956, titled BRAVO, Die Zeitschrift für Film und Fernsehen (Magazine for film and television). Marilyn Monroe smiled from the cover, and while it featured photos of other American stars, she alone was enough. The 40-page issue included not just tidbits from American and German film worlds, but also:

• reviews of current movie releases
• excerpts from two novels
• a profile of local star Karl-Heinz Böhm
• a letter from Rod L. Martin straight from Hollywood
• a television schedule
• a horoscope
• a Q&A advice column
• a photo page of Marilyn Monroe
• verbal and illustrated humor

The weekly magazine (as announced by the editorial team) used red as its main color, accented by yellow. The print run was 30,000 copies. At the same time, Bravo was also released in Vienna, overseen by Hans G. Kramer.

The ideal reader. A crazy teenager

Interest in the magazine exceeded all expectations. While the first idea was to aim for an adult reader, the youth took over. The entire editorial direction shifted to target the crazy teenager. The music section was expanded, causing a wave of excitement. On November 4, in the 11th issue, the first BRAVO-Musicbox chart appeared, won by Freddy Quinns with the song Heimweh. In December, the first celebrity life series launched. The first star? Crowd idol James Dean. Each series had 10 episodes.

January 1957 brought new additions to the magazine. Blue was added as a color, and a contest for best actor/actress (OTTO) was announced. The team also began a search for the German Elvis Presley. Peter Kraus was unanimously crowned the German king of rock and roll.

Besides direct competitions, various quizzes, lyrics to popular songs, and jukebox playlists were introduced. The Gepfefferter Klatsch (spicy gossip) section uncovered celebrity secrets. Serious topics weren’t forgotten either, especially TV theatre. One page, titled Köpfe und Köpfchen, was dedicated to play reviews.

The last page, a poster, featured the star of the week. This increasingly popular feature attracted young journalists eager to speak out on youth culture, and a clear division into sections soon formed within the magazine:

• Film - led by Hanni Bartenschlager
• Fernsehen (television), overseen by Kurt Geßl
• Romane und Serien (novels and series) - handled entirely by Heinz Sponsel
• Artikel und Interviews (articles and interviews) - with Stefan Moses, Rudolf Roth and Ludwig Weitz listed as exclusive reporters
• advertising was managed by Paul Offinger

Bravo stormed through the German media market. Issue 13/57, dated March 31, 1957, featured a new subtitle: Die Zeitschrift mit dem jungen Herzen (Magazine with a young heart) and included its first supplement Film, Fernsehen, Schlager, while issue 34 from August 13 had a circulation of 200,000 copies.

Posters in pieces and half a million copies

From its first issue, the weekly magazine had its own mascot. It was a friendly, cheeky lighting technician named Otto, who appeared in film-themed articles. On June 2, 1957, in issue 22, his rival Bonnie appeared - the heroine of the magazine’s first-ever comic strip. She settled in on page 30. Both characters were warmly welcomed.

Starting June 25 of that same year, Bravo, which had been released on Fridays, moved to Tuesdays. This change came at the request of readers who had trouble getting the magazine before the weekend. A new printing facility was also launched in Cologne.


For three years, Peter Boenisch’s deputy was Liselotte Krakauer, who took over editorial duties in June 1959 when Boenisch left for the newspaper Bild. But before leaving, he scored another big success.

Rapid circulation growth encouraged higher efficiency and more ideas. On March 24, 1959, Bravo released a smash hit - and Brigitte Bardot helped. That day saw the first of 11 pieces of a life-size poster of the star. Each week, another piece was printed. The idea was a hit. Even people who had never bought Bravo before hunted for issues to get the full poster. By mid-year, circulation reached 523,000 copies.

As a woman, Krakauer added a beauty section to the magazine under the slogan: Schon sein - heute, morgen ein Leben lang! (Be beautiful - today, tomorrow, for life!) led by certified beautician Wiltraud Schirmer. There was also a fashion corner called Bravo Modetip.

Boys had a section about sports stars, and in September 1960, Bravo published a concert tour based on the top hits of that year’s first half. Details and participants appeared in the September 29 issue.

Bravo’s success came with responsibility. The editors decided not only to spoil their readers but also to educate them. On December 25, 1962, Dr Christoph Vollmer offered love advice in the new Knigge für Verliebte (Etiquette for the lovestruck) column. In truth, the name was a pseudonym for romance author Marie Louise Fischer. Later, Dr Kristen Lindstroem (another pen name) joined him. The advice column quickly evolved into a sexual health clinic as young readers boldly shared personal issues. Krakauer saw this and hired a professional - a psychotherapist, doctor and religion teacher Martin Goldstein, who on October 20, 1969, officially took on the role of Dr Jochen Sommer, giving intimate advice to teens.

In May 1965, the editors scored another win. They launched a Miss Teen contest, and starting May 26, every Wednesday at 5 p.m., Bravo’s hit chart was broadcast on Radio Luxemburg, a fact proudly shared in the magazine. Teens were thrilled. From June 29 that year, The Beatles appeared as a poster spread across the cover and back page. Thus began the era of the Liverpool lads, who had started their career in Hamburg. Their songs took over the Musicbox chart.

The first million, crisis and sale to Bauer

Another frenzy came in September 1965 with a Rolling Stones tour organized by Bravo. But before that, in issue 35 on August 24, the magazine declared Über 1 Million Druckauflage (Over one million printed copies). Nothing more needed to be said.

The beginning of the next year brought more achievements. In January, the lovable technician Otto handed his film-star duties over to a Native American boy named Bravo. He became the trophy for the best actor/actress in the OTTO awards. This shift was inspired by the huge success of films based on Karl May’s stories about the Native American chief Winnetou - films Bravo continued to promote for years. In March, Bravo began selling records featuring songs from its charts.

Once the excitement over Native Americans faded, The Beatles’ popularity waned and lesser-known stars were promoted, circulation suddenly dropped in early 1967. From over a million, it fell to 683,107 copies. Bravo was in crisis.

Kindler & Schiermeyer Verlag took advantage of the moment. To minimize losses, they first merged Bravo with a similar magazine called OK (April 1967), then sold the weekly to Heinrich Bauer of Hamburg. The deal happened quickly and quietly. As journalist Horst Wolf recalled: Like a bad marriage. The betrayed husband finds out last.


On July 1, 1967, Bravo officially became part of the Bauer Media Group. The publisher was based in Hamburg, but the Bravo editorial office remained in Munich.

After the sudden drop and ownership change, Bravo started to recover. By the end of 1969, it reached a circulation of 800,000. To restore its former glory, the magazine returned to showcasing popular and beloved stars. New editions featured German pop stars, actors and series like Die Ponderosa (Bonanza), as well as youth fashion collections designed by Bravo’s team. The magazine got bolder in color, started openly discussing sex and even featured nudity. The Bravo-Leser fragen... Harry Fix antwortet (Bravo readers ask... Harry Fix answers) column grew more popular. So many letters arrived that the section had to expand. The magazine itself grew to 60 pages.

The brave and unfiltered questions continued in Dr Sommer’s editorial office, where he began sexual education for readers. As the magazine stated:

Dr Sommer’s team enlightens, advises and informs on topics like puberty, sexual identity, relationships, physical and mental health, love, sexuality and development. They provide factual information free from taboos and prejudice, with a clear commitment to tolerance, honesty, openness and diversity.

The column Liebe ohne Angst (Love without fear) complemented the themes explored with Dr Sommer. This openness and diversity around sex drove not only teachers but also the Bavarian Ministry of Labor into a white-hot rage. They demanded that Bravo be recognized as harmful to young people. But the publisher took no action. The controversy drove sales. And in 1972...

Scandal over the masturbation guide

It was then that Bravo added to its sex advice features a new type of visual enlightenment - photo reports called Bravo-Foto-Love-Storys. These were serials about teenage love. Using images and minimal text... they relieved parents of the duty to introduce their children to the intimate world of sex: from the right kiss to the correct use of condoms or ovulation foam.

The first story appeared on May 31, in issue 23. It had three episodes and focused on the love story of 14-year-old Birgit and 16-year-old Nico. The Foto Love Story was published monthly. While many supported Bravo’s educational approach (including then health minister Käte Strobel), others were outraged.

The media uproar was so great that in August, Siegfried Moenig from the publishing house arrived in Munich to clean up the mess. The final straw was an illustrated masturbation guide. To calm the storm, editor-in-chief Liselotte Krakauer and her deputy Karlheinz Müllenbach were sent on leave, and Gert Braun was appointed to the main editorial seat with a reminder that Bravo’s readers were getting younger.

Braun had been with Bauer since the mid-60s (with a short break) and worked at Bravo since 1969. He contributed to Dr Sommer’s section and was very familiar with youth sex education. He had no intention (and full management support) to change the editorial direction. After a few quieter issues, on November 28, 1974, the cover of Bravo featured bare female breasts.

Bravo Poster, second million and photography

Sex education was having the intended effect, but it was not the only topic in Bravo. Music and film still ruled. On November 10, 1972, the first episode of a new series titled Bravo-Disco-Tourne appeared, covering German discotheques. The tour kicked off in Düsseldorf at the Nautilus club. Singer Sandro Barretta narrated the events.

The editorial team regularly introduced new ideas to surprise readers. The poster section, in particular, did its best to satisfy fan demand. On February 22, 1973, in issue 9, the first 84x54cm poster appeared. Starting September 13, readers could buy Bravo-Poster, which featured fan favorites. It was published monthly, with four pages of text and 8-12 pages of posters. It also included a Love Encyclopedia.

Braun moved away from heavy promotion of domestic artists and instead supported young international stars and their music (e.g., Alice Cooper). Readers loved it, and in the first quarter of 1973, Bravo again exceeded 1 million in circulation.


Since Bravo included a lot of photographs, the photo section received special attention. Among its top staff in the 70s and 80s was Dieter “Didi” Zill, also a musician. His first contact with Bravo was during the Rolling Stones tour organized by the magazine. He was a member of ABC Boys, the support act for the British band. After the group disbanded, Zill became a DJ and in 1969 started working for Bravo as a photographer and photo editor. He photographed nearly every major music star of the 70s and 80s. From the late 80s to 2000, he was the exclusive photographer of David Hasselhoff. Today, he lives near Munich and runs his own photo studio.

Another Bravo photographer was Wolfgang “Bubi” Heilemann. Bubi had worked for the magazine OK. After it merged with Bravo, he became a photography star, and some artists allowed only him into their private lives, not just on stage or backstage. That was the case with the Swedish band ABBA, who conquered the European music scene in the late 70s. Bravo and Bubi had exclusive photo rights to the band in Germany.

A 70s curiosity was the Resort Lesseraktionen - small actions for readers. On 30 answering machines, readers could hear the voices of their favorite artists. The system ran 24/7 and from April 1, 1974, was managed by Fritz Tillack, who later became special projects editor and the magazine’s historian.

Discos, concerts and extras

Although Bravo’s birthday was in the summer, its 20th anniversary was celebrated on December 6, 1976. True to its youthful spirit, the celebration took place in a disco, with music promoted by the magazine. Thousands of fans of both music and the magazine came to Eastside in Munich. Sadly, not all could get in. These types of parties were nothing new. Bravo had hosted them in its own offices since the beginning. Artists had their photo sessions there. Mini-concerts were also held, and eventually, a small recording studio was set up. Years later, reader meetups were organized in town because the busy editorial office could no longer accommodate them.

In May 1975, a printing strike disrupted the release of issue 21. No issue was lost though - readers got a double issue (21/22) on May 20. A similar situation happened in March 1978 due to the oil crisis. Two double issues were released - 12/13 and 14/15. Crisis or not, Bravo had to reach its readers.

A year later, on April 13, the magazine included its first gift. The launch included cards with images and autographs of artists. There were to be 600 such gifts. The first featured the king of rock and roll Elvis Presley. Bravo was at its peak. Teens were thrilled, adults gritted their teeth, and the editors rubbed their hands - circulation soared. In the first quarter of 1979, it reached 1.5 million copies.

Bravo reached readers around the world. Besides offices in Germany, it had representatives in London, New York and Hollywood. It was available in every European country, Tunisia and the Canary Islands.

The magazine educated readers not only about sex but also in other life areas. Science, technology and health sections were very popular. There were crosswords, quizzes, tests and contests. Novels were still printed, though less frequently than in the early years - all spread across nearly 60 pages.

In October 1979, Gert Braun said goodbye to Bravo’s editorial office. He became president of the magazine Quick. His position at the youth weekly was taken by Rüdiger Wittner.

Hard times in the 80s

The new editor-in-chief began his twelve-year tenure by launching Mini Bravo. In issue 8 from February 14, 1980, a miniature pocket version of the magazine was included as a gift. The booklet had 32 pages. The series had only 24 issues, as it didn’t catch on with readers. Today, it’s considered a collector’s item.

A similar fate met the star-sticker collection. The first set appeared on June 12 in issue 25 but failed to spark interest, so the idea was dropped. On July 24, a new insert was launched: Illustrierte Film-Bühne (Illustrated film stage), which featured reprints from 1950s and 60s cinema magazines. The premiere cover featured scenes from the movie Giganten.

A year later, in issue 44 from October 22, 1981, stickers with celebrity faces were added. Unfortunately, none of these efforts stopped the decline in circulation. It felt as if Bravo’s editors had lost their spark. Sales held at 1.25 million copies, but the trend was clearly downward.


Only in 1983 did things improve - but briefly. New TV series brought fresh stars and helped stabilize the situation. Still, by the end of the 80s, Bravo’s circulation dropped below one million again.

Wittner did his best:

• in September 1982, Bravo began experimenting with different title colors
• this became official in January 1983
• they started to leave black-and-white design behind
• on December 1, 1983, issue 49 included 3D glasses
• on February 23, 1984, a breakdance music record was added as a gift
• in January 1985, Bravo TV launched on Sat.1
• on December 6, 1986, a disco party was held at Sugar Shake for Bravo’s 30th anniversary
• in 1988, the biweekly Bravo Girl! debuted for girls
• on February 18, 1988, the Foto Love Story was finally in color
• on September 15, 1988, Bravo became fully printed in color

Still, these moves did not stop the magazine’s decline in popularity. Some said the era of celebrity journalism was ending. Stars became inaccessible, moody and often arrogant. While great photos from top photographers were still included, Bravo’s strength had always been direct access to idols. Most of the time, journalists had personal ties with stars.

• In the 50s and 60s, the lead reporter was Thomas G. Beyl, whose lounge James Dean once drummed in. He met Elvis Presley and, through him, the Beatles and Rolling Stones. He was the only journalist present at Mick Jagger’s wedding to Bianca Marcias.
• Jörg Fleming, reporting from 1967-1971, personally met members of Deep Purple
• Siggi Niedergesäß (pen name KESiegfried) was the first journalist in the world to hear the just-edited tapes of Queen, resulting in a legendary interview
• Wilma Schönhoff was so close to the Kelly Family that people thought she was part of the family
• Alex Gernandt was close to many stars, especially Michael Jackson

Eastern Germany and the Polish debut

There may have been truth to the talk. One thing was certain - circulation kept falling. After German reunification, hopes were pinned on the eastern states helping Bravo bounce back. And that’s exactly what happened. Once-banned, the magazine sold like hotcakes. In the first quarter of 1991, circulation jumped by 53 percent to 1.58 million copies - a record still unbeaten. At that time, Bravo featured Richard Grieco, David Hasselhoff and Roxette on its pages. Bravo also entered the Polish market. On April 21, 1992, it gifted its new readers the first-ever Bravo CD with hit songs.

After this success, Rüdiger Wittner handed over editorial duties in November 1992 to his colleague Gerald Büchelmaier. Büchelmaier had been with Bravo since the early 70s, covering concerts of Suzi Quatro and Sweet as a 22-year-old reporter. Now a seasoned journalist, he took over a 60-person newsroom. The magazine was at the top, cost 2.40 Deutsche Marks, and had a print run of 1.2 million copies. About 400 letters arrived at the office daily, and during contests, that number exceeded 100,000 per week.

Other titles appeared on the market, but none could compete with Bravo. The magazine’s readership age dropped to 12, and teens adored boy bands like Backstreet Boys and Take That, who dominated Bravo’s colorful pages and posters. There were also eternal heroes. On the cover of issue 2000, released January 5, 1995, was the King of Pop, Michael Jackson - a cover he reportedly loved.

Since girls had Bravo Girl, Büchelmaier decided to create something for boys. He launched Bravo Sport. The first issue appeared on May 19, 1994. The magazine focused mainly on football but also featured Formula 1 and American sports. It often included stickers or A2 posters. The magazine also presents the Bravo Sport Otto award to athletes.


As in the 70s, when sex education began, the 90s brought waves of protest from adults. The 1994 issue featuring the photo novel Im Ban des Teufels, about a ritual rape by satanists, and the May 18, 1995 issue with Love & Sex Report ’95 showing nude photos of a 13-year-old girl during interrogation, outraged teachers. Teens felt differently.

The same happened in 1996, when on February 7, Bravo printed pornographic song lyrics. A week later, publication of a photo report from a concert by American heavy metal band Gwar was blocked due to images from their violent performance. In later years, the magazine was also criticized for its collaboration with the federal agency (2010) and for covert advertising (2017).

The internet steals readers

Like his predecessors, Büchelmaier tried to entice readers with various gadgets included with issues. On January 19, 1995, it was a puzzle featuring the Kelly Family - the first in a 14-piece series. Sadly, despite the effort, it was a flop. On November 7, 1996, issue 46 featured the first set of Starcards. A pack of six cards with photos and autographs of famous stars was planned to appear in twelve more (not necessarily consecutive) issues. This idea gained more traction. Bravo also launched a store within the magazine, where readers could order trinkets using a printed postcard.

No matter how popular the extras were, concerts and events organized by the editorial team always drew crowds. That was the case on August 25, 1996, when under the slogan Forever Young, a 40th birthday party for the magazine was held for 5,000 guests at Munich’s Olympiahalle.

From 1994 to 2010, the annual Bravo Super Show took place, where OTTO awards were presented. Concerts were broadcast by RTL, RTL II, and Pro7. These channels also aired Bravo TV.

• May 1993 - December 2003 RTL II
• January 2003 - December 2004 ZDF
• November 2005 - 2007 Pro7
• October 2010 SchülerVZ (4 episodes)

By the late 90s, computers and the internet took center stage. Bravo’s editorial team kept up. On October 15, 1996, BRAVO-Street launched as a test website on AOL. A year later, in May, the first issue of Bravo Screenfun, a monthly magazine about computer games, appeared.

Sadly, computerization brought a decline in interest in print media. Bravo was no exception. By late 1998, its circulation had fallen below one million, and by 2000, it dropped to 680,000 copies. A change of editor-in-chief didn’t help - the world was going digital.

In November 1998, after six years, Gerald Büchelmaier stepped down. Until a successor was chosen, Norbert Lalla took interim charge. In March 1999, Jürgen Stollberg assumed leadership and guided Bravo into the new millennium. But in April 2000, Uli Weissbrod took over for a slightly longer term - three years.

These changes didn’t help. Bravo’s circulation kept dropping. Teens preferred computers and the internet. So Weissbrod pivoted to digital publishing. On April 18, 2001, Bravo launched its new homepage with its own logo - bravo.de. The old site was shut down. The new portal offered fans a wide “range of pleasures.” At launch, it featured 1,000 pages covering music, advice, sports and games.

A team of 22 editors, led by Jürgen Bruckmeier, worked to serve an audience aged 10-19. The site also included an internet radio station with six channels. User numbers grew quickly - in the initial phase, the site had 50,000 users. The digital editorial team was independent. Unfortunately, print circulation continued to drop.

Hip hop and social campaigns

After the website’s success, the publishing board handed control of the weekly to Jürgen Bruckmeier in 2003. Thanks to the band Tokio Hotel from Magdeburg, circulation rose to 611,559 by 2005/2006. The joy didn’t last - by the end of 2006, Bravo was down to about 400,000 copies. Only in 2009, after Michael Jackson’s death, did circulation briefly surpass 500,000. As of April 2021, it stood at 51,307 copies.


In February 2004, Bruckmeier introduced a single-color header for the magazine, but the cover still featured a photographic mess. It wasn’t until 2006 that the layout was cleaned up a bit and stars were more clearly featured.

At that time, a new music genre began to dominate the scene - hip hop. Lead reporter and music editor Alex Gernandt decided to ride the trend. He created and designed a special edition: Bravo Hiphop Special. It debuted in early 2005 and was a hit. Initially released every two months, by 2007 it became a monthly with a print run of 100,000 copies.

The success of Gernandt’s idea led management to offer him leadership of the main Bravo editorial team. However, the musicologist and music expert agreed to take the role only temporarily - he preferred a calmer job. He finally accepted the offer in 2012 and during that time led a campaign to help Africa: Stopp den Hunger.

The magazine was without a leader for a few months. Tom Junkersdorf took over in October 2005. He wasn’t affiliated with Boenisch publishing. He worked for Axel Springer AG and, since July 2004, had been their correspondent in New York. Before that, he headed the entertainment section at Bild.

Junkersdorf led Bravo for five years. During that time, he introduced editorial meetings with young people to understand their joys and concerns directly from the source. While many topics had long been covered by the magazine, some needed more visibility:

• violence in schools
• anorexia
• domestic problems
• drug abuse

The editorial team received 300-400 emails and letters daily on these issues. School violence in particular became the main theme, and Bravo launched the campaign Schau nicht weg (Don’t look away), during which journalists and celebrities visited schools and spoke with students and teachers. The project was a success. Nearly 100 well-known figures joined Bravo’s initiative.

Sex and nudity continued to upset adults. Some photos were very bold, and Dr Sommer answered the most intimate questions.

The first poster with a non-music star

In 2006, Bravo celebrated its 50th anniversary. A jubilee CD titled Goldenes Jubiläum! with hits from five decades was released, and a digital archive was created. Today, you can view and read every issue of Bravo from 1956 to 2000. The collection is still being expanded, and the history of the most popular youth magazine was written by journalist and author Teddy Hoersch.

Despite falling circulation, the aging weekly held on however it could. Like any publication, it underwent reorganizations and layoffs. In 2009, Bravo Screenfun was discontinued, and in 2012, so was Bravo Hiphop Special. The Polish and Spanish editions were also scrapped. Even longtime staff members like Jutta Stiehler, head of Dr Sommer’s office, were laid off.

On February 1, 2010, Tom Junkersdorf was promoted to “editor-in-chief for special projects” and would henceforth advise national and international Bauer Media Group titles on positioning and future development. His deputy, Philip Janssen, became the new editor-in-chief of Bravo.

Like his predecessor, Janssen had no prior ties to Bravo. He had joined the editorial team only a few months earlier. During his two-year term, he became known for the first non-celebrity poster in Bravo’s history. In November, issue 47 featured a poster not of a pop star, but of the late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs. Janssen explained the unusual decision:

Jobs has long been a pop star... Young people love his products. They listen to music on iPods, dream of the latest iPhone, and save up for an iPad. Our readers were deeply moved by Steve Jobs’ death.

Despite good intentions, Janssen couldn’t turn things around. As DWDL.de reported in January 2012: Philipp Janssen is leaving the publisher at the end of the month - at his own request. He does not leave Bravo in good shape. During his two-year tenure as editor-in-chief, paid circulation dropped from about 512,000 to 327,000 copies - the lowest in decades.


Alex Gernandt briefly returned to the helm but also fell victim to declining circulation. He had an incredible talent for discovering new stars. He helped launch Tokio Hotel, singer and actress LaFee, and rapper Sido. Yet management, desperate for a comeback, let go of the veteran journalist with 25 years of service. Their reasoning: The youth magazine sector is under intense pressure. Media consumption has changed, and the content and visuals need to be more aligned with young readers’ needs.

As part of those changes, in May 2013, the magazine welcomed its first-ever female editor-in-chief, 32-year-old Nadine Nordman. She joined Bravo from the publisher Gong, though she had previously worked for Bravo Girl! She implemented major changes to save the brand. Bravo gained:

• a new headline tone
• improved visuals
• a broader range of topics
• fresh journalism by young people
• increased star factor
• a new interactive section Community/Style Battle
• a double-page Web & App feature
• and the debut section was Hot or Not with weekly trends
• Bravo became a biweekly (January 2015)

Nordman succeeded - circulation went up - but by the second quarter of 2016, numbers fell again. Pessimists began whispering that Bravo might soon vanish as a printed product. They may have been right. In 2020, the biweekly became a monthly.

A magazine instead of a weekly

Though the changes didn’t stop the circulation drop for long, the board acknowledged that Nordman successfully transformed Bravo into a social magazine and, on January 1, 2017, gave her a new leadership role. Yvonne Huckenholz, a journalist with the company since 2000, took over as editor-in-chief.

To give the magazine a boost, in June 2017, a classic idea from the 60s was revived - the Star Cut poster - a life-size image of a star in puzzle form. This time, it was spread over four consecutive issues. The first stars featured in the Entstaubt und zeitgemäß (Dust-free and up-to-date) section were Lisa and Lena, Musical.ly influencers.

In February 2018, RTL aired a concert celebrating 25 years of Bravo Hits. 90s stars and bands performed. The show was titled Bravo Hits 100 - The Countdown. It featured the top songs from the 100 editions of the reader-voted chart.

On May 22, 2019, a special issue titled Bravo Helden was released. It featured the best articles from 1995-1999 and new interviews with stars of that era. The 124-page issue had a print run of 60,000 copies. The editor said: Bravo Helden is aimed at readers who have outgrown Bravo but, as adults, still care about entertainment - and have a nostalgic bond with their youth and the stars of the past.

Though Bravo is aging and doing its best to survive, it’s still regarded as the most important brand for youth topics and current trends. It’s present on social media like Instagram (658,000 followers) and TikTok (271,000), but most of its fans are on Facebook - 797,000 (as of April 2022). It still educates, informs and entertains. It adapts to its target group with the right content and visuals. Political and social topics are presented in engaging ways. It prioritizes the safety and privacy of its underage readers. Its mission is to serve them as long as possible.

Bravo timeline:

• 1956, August 26 - first issue of Bravo
• 1956, November 11 - first hit chart, Musicbox
• 1957, January - weekly featured three colors: red, yellow, blue
• 1957, January - first OTTO award for best actor/actress announced
• 1957, March 31 - first supplement Film, Fernsehen, Schlager
• 1957, June 2 - first comic strip
• 1957, June 25 - publication day changed from Friday to Monday
• 1959, March 24 - Star-Cut debut, life-size celebrity poster
• 1960, September - Bravo organized first concert tour with Musicbox hits
• 1965, May 26 - first Miss Teen contest announced
• 1967, March - first Bravo hit records released
• 1967, April - Bravo merges with OK
• 1967, July 1 - weekly acquired by Bauer Media Group
• 1969, October 20 - Dr Sommer column launched
• 1972, May 31 - first Bravo-Foto-Love-Story about sex
• 1972, November 10 - start of Bravo-Disco-Tourne series
• 1973, February 22 - first multi-panel poster
• 1973, September 13 - first edition of Bravo-Poster
• 1976, April 13 - first editorial gift: celebrity photo cards
• 1980, February 14 - Mini Bravo pocket edition added as gift
• 1982, September - first title color change experiments
• 1985, January - Bravo TV launched
• 1988 - debut of Bravo Girl!
• 1988, September 15 - Bravo becomes full color
• 1992, April 21 - first CD included with an issue
• 1994, May 19 - Bravo Sport monthly launched
• 1994-2010 - annual Bravo Super Show
• 1996, October 15 - Bravo Street internet platform launched
• 1997, May - Bravo Screenfun game magazine launched
• 2001, April 18 - new homepage www.bravo.de launched
• 2005 - Bravo Hiphop Special introduced
• 2006 - Bravo’s anti-school-violence campaign “Schau nicht weg”
• 2006 - 50th anniversary, digital archive created
• 2010, November - first non-celebrity poster, featuring Steve Jobs
• 2012 - Bravo leads aid campaign for starving Africa “Stop den Hunger”
• 2013 - improved design, headline style update
• 2015, January - Bravo becomes biweekly
• 2017, June - Star Cut poster returns (life-size celebrity poster)
• 2019, May - special issue Bravo Helden (return to the 90s)
• 2020 - Bravo becomes a monthly

sources:

• https://bravo-archiv.de/home.php
• https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bravo_(deutsche_Zeitschrift)
• https://www.bravo.de/das-ist-bravo-379208.html
• https://meedia.de/2016/08/26/60-jahre-bravo-der-weg-zum-auflagen-millionaer-und-zurueck/
• https://www.bravo.de/das-ist-bravo-379208.html
• https://bravo-archiv.de/gast/BRAVO%201956-01original.pdf
• https://www.grin.com/document/6091
• https://bravo-archiv.de/auswahl.php?link=story1.php
• https://www.spiegel.de/politik/reif-fuer-wanderpreis-a-99020a43-0002-0001-0000-000045966340?context=issue
• https://www.wirtualnemedia.pl/artykul/bravo-znika-z-rynku-bo-przegrywa-u-nastolatkow-z-serwisami-i-aplikacjami-internetowymi-opinie
• https://www.huffingtonpost.es/2017/02/24/cierre-revista-bravo_n_14981198.html
• https://www.horizont.net/medien/nachrichten/-Bravo.de-Operation-Marktfuehrerschaft-laeuft-an-28607
• https://www.dwdl.de/nachrichten/4820/offiziell_tom_junkersdorf_wird_neuer_bravochefredakteur/
• https://www.planet-interview.de/interviews/tom-junkersdorf/34199/
• https://www.dwdl.de/nachrichten/34581/chefredakteur_jessen_verlsst_trudelnde_bravo/