Men?s Health?s is setting an example for magazine-brand extension and launching its third iPhone application within two months.

The the Jimmy the Bartender application features location-based bar reviews, tips to meet women, drink recipes and a Q&A section. The application is downloadable for $2.99 and is not ad supported.

?We?ve already launched fitness apps for both Men?s Health and Women?s Health, and wanted to find new ways to take advantage of some of the rich functionality offered by the iPhone platform,? said Matt Bean, articles editor and brand editor at Men?s Health, New York.

?Jimmy was a no-brainer," he said. "Guys love the no-nonsense wisdom Jimmy the Bartender dispenses in our magazine ? in fact, he?s one of our most popular columnists ? and we?re hoping his app will appeal not only to our core audience but men and women outside of the readership as well."

Men?s Health is a Rodale publication with 38 editions around the world. It covers fitness, nutrition, sexuality, lifestyle and other aspects of men's life and health.

The two biggest challenges for any magazine trying to develop an application are finding a way to translate the brands and franchises for the larger community and making the applications vital enough that they?ll be successful outside of the readership base.

?An app can?t be just a direct map of the magazine?s content,? he said. ?It needs to take advantage of the iPhone?s unique functionality and engaged ? but demanding ? user base. You?re not going to get a free pass just because you?re a successful magazine.

"We might have about 11 million readers, but we?re trying to pay attention to everyone that might not pick up Men?s Health or Women?s Health at the newsstand too," Mr. Bean said.

The Jimmy application is the company?s third launch in two months. Mr. Bean said by developing the applications itself, the company is thinking about long-term strategy.

On the new iPhone application users can find bars Jimmy has reviewed with a GPS-enabled guide. Users can also submit their own reviews and photos of their favorite hangouts.

Through a scroll and touch function, Jimmy presents tips to approaching any woman.

In the application, Jimmy also shares dozens of cocktail recipes and favorite beers. Users can submit their own cocktail creation and rate drinks added by others.

?Much of Jimmy?s wisdom comes from his experiences behind the bar, and the app is loaded with drink recipes and bar reviews,? Mr. Bean said. ?That means we?re focusing on anyone 21 and up that might want a drink recipe, a pick or two for local watering holes, and maybe some advice on talking to their boss or a foosball tip for beating their buddy.

?And while Jimmy?s instant wingman tips ? a situation-by-situation guide to talking to anyone in a bar ? are written for men, they?re just as useful for women, we?ve heard,? he said.

Men?s Health has been successful as a magazine because it focuses on helping readers improve their lives and applications allow the company to take service content one step further.

?With Jimmy, we?re still providing content ? but now we?re customizing it, and making it interactive, from tagging Jimmy?s bar reviews to allowing users to filter their picks for different situations or submitting their own drinks and bar reviews,? he said.