Playboy Pulling a Willy Wonka, Plans to Hide 'Golden Tickets'

HOLMBY HILLS, Calif. — In a bid to ramp up magazine sales, Playboy Enterprises said on Wednesday that it plans on inserting 10 "golden tickets" inside randomly selected newsstand copies of Playboy's December issue.

Playboy says founder Hugh Hefner will party with the 10 winners — all will be able to bring a guest — alongside celebrities and a bevy of Playmates.

The winners will be shuttled to August's Midsummer Night's Dream Party after being flown into Los Angeles. Playboy also is throwing in two nights accommodation at the Petit Ermitage in West Hollywood and dinner at Simon LA at Sofitel Los Angeles.

"For the first time in Playboy's history, we're giving 10 readers the opportunity to go where few have gone before — the Playboy Mansion — and enjoy one of the best parties of the year," Playboy founder Hugh Hefner said. "I hope the winners are ready for the experience of a lifetime."

Playboy's promotion was dreamed up by Editorial Director Jimmy Jellineck, who was thinking about Willy Wonka, the eccentric candy maker of Roald Dahl's children's book "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory."

Wonka, in the book, hides five golden tickets in the wrappers of chocolate bars. Children from around the world search for them in order to win a trip to his candy factory.

Apparently, Jellineck wasn't the only one trying to connect Willy Wonka-style golden ticket giveaways.

On Wednesday, Sex Pistols frontman John Lydon also announced details of a golden ticket giveaway. His promotion is to coincide with the release of his new book.

One hundred golden tickets will be placed randomly into copies of "Mr. Rotten’s Scrapbook," on sale Dec. 1.

Each lucky recipient of the golden ticket will win a 10-minute webcam conversation with the singer.

Playboy's December issue goes on sale Friday.

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