Playboy magazine has been popular for many years. And although the last print version came out in the spring of 2020, and the publication will now only be available online, it is still on the radar. In fact, Playboy is more than just a magazine. It’s an empire. And its logo is familiar to people all over the world.
Playboy is not only the name of a popular magazine and a world-famous brand but also a huge media empire. Playboy is the brainchild of Hugh Hefner, who taught men all over the world how to live a beautiful life.
The magazine began publishing in the 50s when the conservative society in the U.S. was replaced by a young generation that did not want to live in a world of prohibitions and norms.
To create the first issue of Playboy Hefner spent $ 8 thousand, – for this, he pawned the furniture and borrowed money from his mother. Neither the date nor the number of the issue decided not to publish, – no one was sure of the success of the new media. But the cover with Marilyn Monroe attracted buyers, and no one knew the edition sold out in 50 thousand copies. Playboy reached the peak of popularity in the 1970s, when the magazine’s profit amounted to $ 12 million a year.
Hugh Hefner not only raised the prestige of his brainchild to such a height that John Updike, Kurt Vonnegut, and Tom Clancy agreed to publish in it, and among the interviewees was Dennis Rodman, Tommy Hilfiger, Kevin Spacey, John Travolta, and Bill Gates, photographed for Playboy were Katharine Witt and Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell and Sharon Stone.
Interestingly, the magazine was originally supposed to be called Stag Party, which can be translated as “Entertainment for men only”, and the emblem wanted to make a drawn deer, but this idea failed because of the existence of a men’s magazine with a similar name. As a result, the name Playboy appeared, and the logo was Bunny Bunny, dressed for extra sophistication in a tuxedo.
The famous rabbit was drawn in half an hour by artist and designer Arthur Pohl in 1953. He also created the first layout of Playboy magazine, and the next year became its art director. According to the creator, the rabbit symbolizes playfulness and boldness, the bow tie adds sophistication to the image. It is noteworthy that two popular at the time American magazines – The New Yorker and Esquire – used the figure of a man as their symbol. The rabbit in a tuxedo was very much out of this range. Paul later admitted that if he had known how popular his logo would be, he would have spent more time on it.
Playboy rabbit became one of the American symbols of the twentieth century. Its image can be found in fashion accessories, clothing, tattoos, and even car air fresheners.
The business that started with the magazine quickly gained momentum. By 1971, the magazine was selling 7 million copies monthly, and Hefner owned clubs, casinos, hotels, and even resorts. Hefner’s solely-owned corporation also included a book publisher, a modeling agency, a recording studio, a television company, and a limousine service. In the same 1971, Hef created a second residence in Los Angeles, where he set up the famous Playboy Mansion, and in 1975 he moved to live in the City of Angels. And in 1980, Hefner’s star was unveiled on the Walk of Fame in Hollywood.
In 1996, Hugh Hefner received the International Award for Publishing Merit in London. In 1998 in New York, he was inducted into the American Society of Magazine Publishers Hall of Fame. In January 2002, in New York City, he received the Henry Johnson Fisher Award, the highest honor for magazine publishers in America.
In 2017, at the age of 91, Hugh Hefner passed away. Today, his youngest son Cooper Hefner is the creative director of Playboy Enterprises.
What is Playboy?
Playboy is an erotic magazine for men that has been published since October 1953. The publication is issued worldwide in different languages. It is distinguished by bright photos of celebrities, and provocative pictures. In addition to erotica, the magazine has sections on sports, society, political figures, and much more. Also on its pages, you can find texts by different writers.
Who is not familiar with the image of a bunny with a butterfly around its neck? The logo of this company can be recognized by most of us. The Playboy brand has become legendary thanks to the extraordinary decisions of its founder and the company’s bright strategies.
The legendary rabbit head appears in every issue of the magazine. And since the creation of the logo it still hasn’t changed.
The image was created by graphic designer Arthur Paul. Hugh Hefner chose the rabbit because this animal conveyed a playful mood, which suited the concept of the publication. The bow tie was added to make the logo more chic and exceptional.
The logo is spread all over the world. Since the early 1960s, the trademark began to appear on almost every Playboy cover, but in different interpretations. The trademark rabbit is hidden on almost all covers of the publication – it is a Playboy tradition. In the 1970s, this led to a huge number of appeals from readers. They asked for a clue as to where to find the rabbit.
The bold uppercase lettering from the Playboy logo is set in a heavy serif typeface with classic shapes of the characters. The closest fonts to the one, used in this insignia, are, probably, Rude Slab Black, Polyphonic Black, or Xenia Extended, with minor modifications of the contours. It is actually quite a traditional typeface, which doesn’t have any unique designer features in it.
As for the color palette of the Playboy visual identity, its primary version is set in black and white, the combination, that stands for elegance, luxury, class, and professionalism. Black is also known to be one of the sexiest colors. In some cases, the famous bunny can be drawn in white or black on a pinkish background.
What does the Playboy logo mean?
The comic Playboy logo, designed by Arthur Paul in 1953, has never left the visual identity of the famous magazine. The stylized bunny in smoking looks chic and playful at the same time, with some gentleman’s elements, and distinctive contours, making it look powerful and sleek. According to the creator of the symbol, thebunny represents playfulness and boldness, and the bow tie added sophistication. Paul also said he wanted something more original and memorable than a male figure.
What is the Playboy brand?
Playboy is an internationally famous brand, under which the most iconic magazine for men is published. The brand was established by Hugh Hefner in the 1950s and has become synonymous with the erotic-content magazine, where men from all over the globe could see beautiful ladies’ photos.