"When you have a company and the founder is responsible for kick-starting the sexual revolution and then you pluck out that aspect of the company's DNA by removing the nudity, it makes a lot of people including me sit and say: "What the hell is the company doing?" It's something Cooper Hefner, the 25-year-old son of legendary Playboy founder Hugh Hefner, said to Business Insider back in February, but his opinion hasn't budged. At the time, Cooper was - in his own words - being crowded out of his father's company by a boardthat didn't see eye-to-eye with the family most invested in Playboy's message. At the time, Cooper was disgruntled but content to focus on his own brand: A Vice-like digital publication called HOP. Needless to say, the status quo has shifted.Cooper is in charge now, and things are about to change.
A Hefner at the helm
When we're talking dollar signs, Playboy's controversial decision to ditch nude content makes enough sense. Removing nudey pics means more advertisers, more merchandising deals, extended reach, and more buyers at the newsstands. (28 percent more, to be exact.) On the flip side, staying relevant means occupying a unique space in the market, and men's magazines that showcase "sexy" content alongside quality journalismare a dime a dozen. Ifwe're crunching numbers, Playboy's new strategy is working - but how long can the newbrand messageremain salient? These schools of thought havedivided much of Playboy into two polarized teams, and interim CEO Ben Koch remains firmly in favor of the former; according to Koch, there are no plans currently at the magazine to reverse the nudity ruling.
What we're left with is an impassioned Millennial stepping in for his father as the company's Chief Creative Officer, a young man who promises a great deal of change for the publication in 2017. There hasn't been a Hefner steering Playboy since Hugh's daughter Christie stepped down as CEO in 2009, and many people hold this shift in ownership responsible for the most recent branding changes - though Hugh signed on for all of them, and after all, money does matter when you're running a business.
Cooper's appointment (which again, comes after his slow and steady disengagement from the board) came as a shock to many on staff, including editorial director Jason Buhrmester, who stepped down immediately upon the decision. Many have resigned and many have been fired,marking what is likely to be yet another major shift in the direction of the publication. The Hefners don't own the majority of Playboy anymore, but Cooper has already landed a massive win for his proposed shifts: His own brand, HOP, has come under the Playboy branch and will be integrated fully in the coming months. It's part of his efforts to modernize the magazine, making it as appealing to younger generations (like the Millennial group he himself is a part of) as it is to the generations that grew up as Playboy did. Sources say a graphic novel about sex workers and asexuality is in the works, among fresh perspectives on topics like politics.
Preparing for a new Playboy era
The main tenant of Cooper's proposed plan, of course, is bringing back the nudity - except through a different lens. The problem isn't naked women, he argues; it's that those women's personalities and accomplishments aren't featured alongside their naked bodies. Cooper credits the viability of providing both in an arousing way to the sexual revolution his own father kickstarted.In 2016, he says, people don't think there's anything wrong with nudity, so why not adapt it instead of ditch it?
Only time will tell if Hugh's son can put the TA back in Playboy (and do so profitably), but I want to hear from you guys.What do you guys think of Cooper's appointment at the Hefner helm? Do you think his blueprint will take Playboy in a positive direction? And most importantly - do you want to see the company bring back the nudity?! Let me know in the comments!
