WHEN Hugh Hefner died six years ago at the ripe old age of 91, you might have thought Playboy would die with him.
The title ceased publication three years ago after trying a series of increasingly desperate ways to reinvent the brand.
The most ridiculous ruse was to produce a magazine with no nudity — like opening a petrol station that didn’t sell petrol.
But no, the death of the founder and editor-in-chief of the world’s most famous glamour magazine has simply allowed his phenomenally successful brand to reinvent itself as a digital proposition.
Those of you familiar with Instagram have now been made aware of OnlyFans, the subscription service that offers “personal” photographs and videos of the various models, influencers and yummy mummies.
Not only has this new service reintroduced the idea of anticipation and excitement to the world of glamour — rather than the free-for-all flesh-fest you can find online — it’s also offered a way for people, mostly women, to take charge of their sexuality.
Yes, OnlyFans has its critics — and its dark side.
But it is a way to monetise glamour, which was becoming ever more difficult when women who take their clothes off are often looked down on.
Which is why Playboy, under its chief brand officer Rachel Webber, has decided to get involved.
By putting itself behind a paywall.
Instead of old-fashioned Playboy bunnies there will be “Playboy creators”, who will post adult (and non-adult) content on its pages.
And, interestingly, not all of its models will be naked.
“Many of our creators do not have nudity on their pages,” says a Playboy spokesperson.
The new platform, it says, is for everyone.
It calls this “sex positivity”, and you can see why.
By giving the power back to the models, it can not only have more control over its imagery, but also more control over its fans and followers.
The first model on Playboy’s new platform is “internet personality and actress” Amanda Cerny, a former Playboy Playmate, who can be seen sitting on top of a giant carrot while wearing a platinum bustier top with matching bottoms and bunny ears.
Playboy says it will also have great written content, in an effort to intellectualise the brand.
But of course this is the oldest trick in the book.
When Playboy launched in the 1950s it included articles by John Updike, Arthur C Clarke, PG Wodehouse, John Irving, Roald Dahl, Frank Herbert, Stephen King, Norman Mailer and Philip K Dick.
This prompted an often-used excuse that Playboy fans said they only bought it for the articles.
Maybe today’s new Playboy consumers will start to say they only subscribe to read the features and interviews.
It wouldn’t surprise me. I hear many of them are very good.
