Flipboard rolls out Promoted Items for brands

Further blurring the divide between advertising and editorial, brands are now getting the Flipboard treatment.

Starting February 1, 2015, certain brands will be able to push out articles, videos, products, and photos inside Flipboard’s magazine app. Levi’s and NARS will be the first two companies to grace the magazine’s digital pages.

Previously, advertisers were relegated to native advertising and more traditional print-like advertisements. But Promoted Items takes brand advertising to the next level. It gives companies the opportunity to run their own magazines within Flipboard’s sleek interface.

“As brands continue to become content creators, we want Flipboard to be an easy place to extend distribution of their stories, products, research papers, films, and photography,” said Flipboard’s head of advertising partnerships, Christine Cook.

The update is a reflection of where media in general is heading — a place where advertising and journalism are no longer distinguishable. Brands can push messaging in full articles rather than single-page pictures with captions.

Flipboard won’t make any attempts to differentiate branded content and editorial — which may concern some people. The company notes that Promoted Items will be published within editorial interest channels, like News, Tech, Sports, Business, Style, Entertainment, Auto, Lifestyle, Design, Travel, or Culinary and Food.

*Update: Flipboard reached out to let us know that content from advertisers will be marked with a “promoted” designation. Though it will be marked, it’s worth noting that Flipboard said in its original release: “Each item is beautifully designed and a seamless part of the Flipboard experience.” So, it’s *possible* that the ‘promoted’ designation could be overlooked by readers.