“Like the ‘Girls of McDonalds,’ this is just another direction we are going,” Playboy spokesman Matt Kalinowski told XBiz, who noted that the company decided on the spread despite objections from those who say MySpace’s demographics are on the teen end. “The girls we choose have to be 18.”
With the project, Playboy.com has embedded itself on MySpace, with its own page that promotes the search for women to pose. Playboy.com also has purchased banner advertising space on the social and blogging site but is not directly involved with any dealings with MySpace.
Typically, Playboy does not partner with featured companies or organizations but tries to draw on the interest of cultural zeitgeist. In previous years, Playboy has devoted photo spreads to the women of Home Depot, Enron, 7-Eleven and Starbucks.
The move by Playboy to go with the MySpace spread comes at a time when MySpace has found itself under increased scrutiny for exposing teens to possible danger. Last month, a 14-year-old New Jersey girl was allegedly murdered by a man in his 20s who met her through the site.
"Because MySpace is so popular with teens, you might have a higher degree of sensitivity," said Pete Blackshaw, chief marketing officer of Intelliseek.
MySpace, which associates itself with teens and music, is considered a “youth” site by industry experts but the company consistently denies that, saying on the record that the majority of the website’s user base was at least 18 years old.
The site also is becoming one of the most favored sites by porn stars, with a plethora of adult content who pay their allegiance to it.
MySpace also recently added a U.K. version but has seen a slow decline in ad revenue in the U.S. In December, MySpace garnered about 4.8 percent of all online display ads, down from the website’s high of 12.4 percent in September, according to data from Nielsen//NetRatings.
Kalinowski estimated that the “Girls of MySpace” site could have up to 10 different young women in the feature, maybe even more. “So far, the response has been good,” he said.