Writers like Chuck Palahniuk, Ian Flemming and Vladimir Nabokov all started their careers writing short stories for this iconic magazine. But Playboy is more than just a magazine, it’s an institution built on liberal expression who regularly debut not only authors but musicians, models and film makers too. They have done incredible work promoting civil and reproductive rights, freedom of speech and other pertinent issues. See? Not just a bunch of pretty faces….or boobs.
The definition of the word ‘Playboy’ varies from source to source but the gist is that he is an educated man with both wealth and time to spare, who is devoted to the pursuit of pleasurable activities. The magazines image is based on this definition and encompasses a luxurious, intelligent almost hedonistic feeling in terms of its execution.
It represents a sense of personal freedom and economic freedom, but has a kind of sophisticated, sexually liberated feel. –Hugh Hefner
Playboy was banned in South Africa during apartheid and resurfaced for a short stint in the 90’s. In 2011 Playboy SA launched but found that they were losing their projected readership to, for a lack of a better word, lad mags like FHM and Maxim and more hard-core vagina wielding publications like Penthouse. Another issue that Playboy faces is the fact that locally people think of it as just a platform to look at naked ladies, completely disregarding the fact that there is so much more on offer.
Y&R, a local ad agency, came up with this campaign to help shift perceptions about Playboy SA and show that it is “More than just a centerfold.”
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| “More Than Just a Centerfold” campaign: ‘Deforestation’, ‘Silicon Valley’ and ‘Crack Addiction’ by Y&R, South Africa |
I chose this campaign to review because I think that the photography and art direction is stunning. It brings together elements of wit and beauty while sending a strong message about the publication. The ads are set in luxurious locations and they all feature a stunning creature of almost unattainable proportions. The men in the ads are obviously well off and more sophisticated than your average Joe. Instead of leering at the hot mama's laid out in front of them they are focusing their attention on interest articles from a magazine which are titled Deforestation, Crack Addiction and Silicon Valley. These titles on their own are innocent enough but when they are placed over the women's naughty bits, for example silicon valley over her boobs making a play on the fact that some women get boob jobs, they become an element of wit that ties this campaign together.
The concept is that 'Playboys' are not just sex crazed maniacs who are only interested in naked women but also other aspects of life like luxury and intellectual stimulus- and the same can be said for the magazine.
Visually I love the use of texture and shadow in these ads from the silk curtains to the slats in the sun lounger's shadow. The men are photographed from the back showing that the models, magazine articles and luxurious surroundings are in his line of sight. This implies that these are the things that interest him and are the kinds of things he chooses to be around. Each ad shows a different kind of person, both black and white, to show that a Playboy is not race specific but rather caters to a lifestyle choice. The decor featured in the ad is not period specific but rather timeless in its elegance which extends to the image that Playboy wants to portray.
I think this campaign is a definite win in terms of balancing beauty and brains. The reader is first pulled in by overall decadence of the ad, once pulled in however the reader notices the article and makes the mental connection between the title and the placement. After having figured out the wit behind the ad one feels a sense of achievement and the connection between the ad and the reader is strengthened. This is a common winning formula for ads and Y&R has executed it perfectly.
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