Playboy bunny hops into new life as retail logo

LAS VEGAS - Forget the Playmates; the hot property at Playboy these days is the bunny.

Although revenue is stagnant at its flagship adult magazine, Playboy Enterprises is popping the bunny logo on everything from lipstick and jeans to lingerie as it looks to its legendary brand to boost business.

The success of two Playboy boutique stores, one in Tokyo opened in 2002 and a Las Vegas storefront this year, has encouraged the company to plan a small, upscale retail chain.

Founder Hugh Hefner started the men's magazine in his kitchen.

The first issue in 1953 offered a calendar picture of Marilyn Monroe in the nude, and the magazine, known for its voluptuous centrefolds, became a cultural touchstone in the 1960s and 1970s, when Playboy opened a series of clubs representing bachelor glamour.

The clubs closed in the 1980s, but Playboy is about to return to the scene with a four-storey venue atop a new tower being built at the Palms Casino, a trendy resort off the Las Vegas Strip.

A visit to the Las Vegas boutique showed no sign that interest was lagging in the brand that conjures up the carefree life.

Moreover, the airy, bright space with plenty of pink - and some fake wood panelling reminiscent of the Playboy Mansion - is no man's bastion.

Playboy, the brand, is seeking women shoppers for its bunny martini glasses, golf bags, racks of apparel - and lingerie.

"We as a brand should own the lingerie market," said Lorna Donohoe, vice-president of Playboy's worldwide retail and merchandising division. She said Playboy planned to open three stores annually over the next three years and launch a premium lingerie line.

Sales of licensed products doubled in the region in the year after Playboy opened its Tokyo boutique.

Last year, global retail sales of Playboy-licensed products grew to about US$500 million ($710 million).

- REUTERS