This month marks the 50th anniversary of Playboy in the United States. Relying on the brand name "Sex", this time-honored magazine has gone through ups and downs for 50 years and is still as prosperous and brilliant as ever. Also relying on "sex", the female online writer Mu Zimei became famous overnight not long ago, but what is strange is that Mu Zimei disappeared within a month, and it is difficult to find her trace even on the Internet. Relying on the same "intermediary", the former has been brilliant all the way, but the latter has declined rapidly. This can't help but make people curious?
The answer is not hard to find. As one netizen said: Muzi Mei has been reduced to a sexual organ. This shows that in Mu Zimei’s writings it is “the sex of life” and sex has become all of life; in “Playboy” it is “the sex of life” and “sex” is just a part of life or a beautiful life!
Hugh Humphner, founder of "Playboy": "It is a magazine that advocates lifestyle"
"I bought "Playboy" to read the content in it Article." This is the knowing humor of American men.
“I never wanted to be a revolutionary. My intention was just to create a mainstream men’s magazine that was inclusive of sex, and it turned out to be a very revolutionary idea.” Hugh Hay Funer said this. Hefner said his idea was to embrace sex in a positive light in a lifestyle magazine. This magazine not only has good photos but also good articles. Sex is just part of life.
Hefner also did some admirable things during his life, including hosting the first Jazz Festival at the Chicago Stadium, considered "the greatest weekend in jazz history" , organizing Hollywood stars to renovate the "Hollywood Eiffel Tower" and so on. This sentence has been mentioned in many reports: The life he lives is a life that men dream of.
The birth of "Playboy" magazine: a banner of the "sexual revolution" of that year
In October 1953, the first issue of "Playboy" magazine was born in Hefner On the kitchen table at home, the cover introduced the calendar girl Marilyn Monroe. The 27-year-old Hefner borrowed US$8,000 from relatives and friends, spent US$500 to buy the copyright of Monroe's semi-nude photos, and founded Playboy by cutting and pasting them. Unexpectedly, the first issue sold more than 50,000 copies (50 cents each).
The birth of "Playboy" catered to the social trends of the United States at that time, which Hefner himself did not expect. Hefner once said that he never wanted to be a "revolutionary." His intention was to create a mainstream men's magazine with "sexual" content, which happened to be a very revolutionary idea. During the "sexual revolution" of the 1960s and 1970s, reading Playboy became a symbol of rebellion. Shortly after the end of World War II, the economy began to recover, and the emergence of automobiles, birth control pills, and television, coupled with the impact of sex research, urbanization, and the Vietnam War, filled university campuses with an anti-traditional atmosphere. "Playboy" mainly featured semi-nude photos of women and talked about sex, leisure, and lifestyle. It quickly stood out and became the best-selling men's magazine. One year after its inception, each issue sold more than 100,000 copies. The circulation once reached more than 8 million copies per issue. At that time, reading "Playboy" became synonymous with "enjoying life". In the 1930s and 1940s, the slogan of American teenagers was: "When you grow up, you want to be as rich as Rockefeller." In the 1960s, the slogan became: "When you grow up, you want to be as happy as Hefner." Playboy was pushed to the forefront by the radical cultural movement at that time and became a banner of the sexual revolution movement. The most important thing about the "sexual revolution" symbolized by "Playboy" is not the change of sexual behavior, but the legalization of public reporting of "sex" by the media.
"The pursuit of pleasure" is the essence of Hefner's "Playboy Philosophy". In the first issue of "Playboy", he once wrote: "'Playboy' does not refer to decadent hedonism. What we call a 'Playboy' is someone who doesn't see life as just a series of bitter tears. The message behind Playboy magazine is that fun and enjoyment are only good things for each of us. The world is passing by in a hurry, and life should be lived tastefully. Sex itself is not just about passing on the family line, it is the real driving force for the world to move forward.
"Hefner believes that the reason why Playboy has been able to defeat many competitors in the past is because it pursues not just a magazine style, but a lifestyle, of which "sex" is just one of them. Just a small part.
Hefner is a direct person, but not a rude person. After establishing himself, he has increasingly higher requirements for the quality of each issue of Playboy. ” features a playmate’s features, interviews, fictional literary works and classic Playboy art introductions to some famous models such as Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, and Hollywood stars Sharon Stone and Kim Jong-un. , Basinger have all appeared on magazine covers, and are proud of it. Michael Jordan, Bob Dylan, Bill Gates, etc. have all been interviewed by "Playboy". Carol Oates, Stephen King and Tom Clancy also wrote in the magazine.
Playboy has witnessed many important eras in its 50 years of publication, and the style of the cover girls has also changed. , the only thing that remained unchanged was the coquettish and childlike bunny girl. As she grew older, Christie's relationship with her father became closer. She found that they talked about almost everything. , "Playboy" is not entirely a pornographic magazine. It has its own political stance. It once took a clear stand against the Vietnam War and the death penalty, and often published interviews with sharp opinions or articles written by well-known domestic writers. After graduating from Brandeis University with excellent grades, Christie decided to step out of the world of "Gunn's daughter" and become a member of the Hefner family. In addition, its territory has expanded to television, video and the Internet. Despite fierce competition, its average circulation has been maintained at about 3.2 million copies every month, and it was purchased by about 10 million American adults 25 years ago. "Playboy" began to develop overseas markets, and now has 19 editions around the world, shared by 5 million readers (mainly men) in different countries. Playboy and its bunny girl trademark have become one of the symbols of American culture.
Half a century has passed, has Playboy changed or has society changed? Christie replied: “It’s the culture that has changed. "Of course we have changes," Hefner added. We become more comfortable with our appearance and more comfortable with the fact that we are sexy. "
So some people say that half a century after its birth, "Playboy" will finally change. But in fact, has society changed or "Playboy" changed? "It's "Playboy" "The Son" changed society," Christie said. "It made us accustomed to nudity and sexiness. That tone was reminiscent of her father Hefner, who once boasted: "Man has three great inventions: fire, the (car) wheel and "Playboy." "
Hefner, the founder of "Playboy", announced not long ago that he would implement a revision "surgery" on the magazine, which is about to celebrate its 50th anniversary, to make it less "pornographic" and more "readable" "Sex." In fact, the editors of "Playboy" began to focus on the text a few years ago, and each issue will also publish several readable articles and interviews. Now "Playboy" does not Referring again to the magazine, it has become an international brand. The Hefner family has already invested in it. They own their own television station and hotel industry, and also sell brand rights to many clothing merchants and gift merchants. Last year, Hefner also invested. It has increased its investment in pornographic television networks and acquired three pornographic television networks for US$70 million. Judging from the annual report of the Playboy Group, the revenue from the entertainment industry has become equal to that of the publishing industry and now exceeds the total revenue of the group. Income 1/3.
Playboy magazine is recognized as the most popular brand among high-end consumers in mainland China
In 2000, a street in Chicago was named "Hefner" "Road", in 1967 he appeared on the cover of Time magazine (this was a magazine that Hefner had to look up to), and the report was titled: The Pursuit of Pleasure.
We may not know him Hefner, but we must have seen the famous rabbit, we must have heard of the magazine called "Playboy", and some of us may have a set of PLAYBOY underwear hidden in the cabinet. CNNMONEY website quoted a market survey. The report said that PLAYBOY is now the most popular brand among high-end consumers in mainland China.
The revelation of the bankruptcy of "Penthouse"
Since the 1960s, sexually explicit magazines such as "Penthouse" have appeared next to "Playboy", which is in contrast to the boldness of "up-and-coming stars". , and aggressive, "Playboy" looks like a shy little girl. But Hefner did not choose the road of no return of ever-increasing doses - this is indeed a road of no return. "Penthouse" declared bankruptcy not long ago, and its ending is a lesson. In fact, if there is only naked sex, when this magazine is regarded by everyone (especially decent people) as a nymphomaniac, who would dare to advertise it (except prostitutes)? Who has the nerve to be seen reading it? A smart "playboy" would never end up like this.
"Playboy" in the eyes of readers
Playboy: a business empire that smells bad and eats well
Created by Playboy founder Hugh Hefner He created a Playboy empire and became a strange phenomenon in American culture. In 2003, the 50th anniversary of the founding of Playboy magazine, his daughter Christie Hefner took over and was busy bringing the business empire into line with modern times.
Playboy enters online games
On December 11, 2002, the American Playboy Company reached an agreement with ARUBSH Entertainment and GrooveGame to jointly develop and sell a set of interactive electronic games. This is the first Playboy-style video game that can be used on PC, Sony's PlayStation 2, Microsoft Xbox and other platforms. It is planned to enter the market in 2004. This game will allow players to play as Playboy founder Hugh Hefner, create a Playboy empire by themselves, and live like a Playboy. Alex Vaickus, head of licensing at Playboy, said: “This transaction marks Playboy’s entry into the video game space and is an important breakthrough for us as it expands our The company's management officials said that Playboy is currently looking for more opportunities to produce more games, especially online games.
Things look promising at the moment, as Playboy readers spent $3 million on video games alone last year, and 3.01 million readers brought their own video game equipment. Jim Perkins, CEO of ARUBSH Entertainment, said the game will be very fun and exciting.
Related to a recent report, Sony Electronics Entertainment CEO Takeru Yoshiki will come to China to combat piracy, and you can understand why Playboy is eager to enter the electronic game industry. After all, the market is too fertile. Ed Fleiss, head of Microsoft's XBOX GAME CONTENT, also pointed out that the electronic entertainment industry has an annual consumption of 23 billion US dollars and is growing at an annual rate of 20%.
The upcoming game is just the beginning for Playboy. Video games will go as far as the market grows. Although the video game is no different to them than a fresh "Playboy" girl who can attract readers.
Playboy advocates luxurious life
"Playboy" is one of the most well-known companies in the international market. Its publication, Playboy, is currently the best-selling men's magazine in the world, costing it more per month than Esquire, GQ and Rolling Stone combined. 25 years ago, "Playboy" began to develop overseas markets, and now there are 19 editions around the world, shared by 5 million readers (mainly men) in different countries. Playboy is available on 113 million cable or direct-to-satellite televisions with partners in 50 countries around the world.
Also, the "Playboy" video topped the sales charts on Billboard. Shopping malls in Beijing sell casual shoes with the head of a little bunny wearing a bow tie. The bunny head was designed by Arthur Paul in 1953 and is considered to represent the entertainment side of "Playboy" and represent a more relaxed part of life. The rabbit is an important source of global revenue for Playboy. It is the most famous trademark in the world, like McDonald's Big M, Nike's small hook, and the polo man on the POLO shirt.
Playboy Company authorizes manufacturers around the world to use its various logos. Currently, there are approximately 2,500 products in more than 80 countries bearing the Playboy imprint, with annual retail sales of nearly US$250 million. "Playboy" Online targets young people, setting up Playboy stores and online games on the Internet. The Playboy Online Club has 140,000 members.
The bestseller of "Playboy" is not simply due to the girls wearing less clothes, but also due to the careful arrangement of the structure and the writing that is comparable to that of "The New Yorker". Nonetheless, criticism followed from the beginning, with Hefner and his Playboy being criticized by both feminists and fundamentalists. The ongoing lawsuits had an impact on the magazine, and by 1969, the over-the-top photos no longer appeared in Playboy, as they were deemed indecent.
From traditional industries to the information age
The success of "Playboy" led to more male adult magazines, such as "Penthouse" and "HUSTLER", as well as the relatively new More modest men's magazines include Maxim, Men's Health, Rolling Stone, GQ and Esquire, to name a few. Publishing alone was not enough. In February 1960, Hefner opened the first Playboy Club in Chicago. The bunny-style waiters and hot dances made the club chain spread from the east coast to the west coast of the United States like mushrooms after the rain, becoming the most successful chain of nightclubs in American history until the last club closed in 1986. Along with the clubs, the Playboy estate included hotels and casinos. In 1971, Playboy went public and was officially named Playboy Enterprises.
However, what Hefner developed was still a traditional business. It was his daughter, 47-year-old Christie Hefner, who brought modernity to this family business, and is currently the CEO of Playboy. . In 1975, she joined the colorful business empire founded by her father. Although Hugh Hefner has retired, he still serves as the editor-in-chief of "Playboy", and his glory is still there. In an interview in 1999, he said: "A new generation has grown up, and they are waiting for me to come out and play with them. . ”
As a woman, Christie Hefner seems a little embarrassed to lead such a company, but she believes that her gender (GENDER) has nothing to do with what she is doing, as Playboy did in the fifth The buildings on the avenue look like ordinary office buildings.
She treats these as general merchandise, but with a little specialness, and unlike her father, Hugh Hefner himself is the best living advertisement for the company. Since becoming CEO in 1988, she has adjusted the company's development strategy by changing the direction from the original focus on the domestic and printing industries in the United States to electronics and the Internet. In 1994, Christie took the company into the online world, and Playboy became the first international magazine to do so. In 1999, the Playboy Internet division made $70,000, but it was the fastest-growing division in the entire company, about twice as much as in 1997. In this way, Christie opened up overseas markets.
At the end of last year, the company will invest US$20 million to build digital equipment that can deliver live digital content online to provide more adult fun for adult men and women. Her approach is undoubtedly the best embodiment of "content generates business opportunities" in the Internet information age.
One thing that Christie is very proud of is that a 50-year-old company can satisfy readers, viewers and buyers from three different aspects, even though the core product is just that.