LOS ANGELES — Playboy has priced its October edition at 60 cents just in time for a publicity blitz with the debut of the NBC show "The Playboy Club."
Hugh Hefner's editors also styled the men's magazine with a retro look matching 1961, when the first Playboy Club was founded. Laura Benanti, who stars in "The Playboy Club," graces the cover.
"It's hard to put into words the fact that, obviously, everything changed for me in that time frame," Hefner told Reuters of the first years of his empire. "Those were some of the best and most romantic years of my life."
Editorial director Jimmy Jellinek said ad pages are up 70 percent for the October issue compared with last year, well beyond the 16 percent year-to-date boost the magazine had already seen in 2011.
Playboy is looking also to capitalize on new advertisers in fashion, grooming and entertainment.
Just this month, Bloomingdales published a large fashion mailer that was inspired by "The Playboy Club." The department store also has added in-store promotions.
