How has rabbit head became official'playboy' logo? --- what is the origin of the famous 'playboy' rabbit head? designed by art paul, the magazine's first art director, the rabbit head has appeared on the cover of every issue of the magazine since the second. hugh hefner, the creator of the 'playboy' magazine, once explained, 'I selected a rabbit as the symbol for the magazine because of the humorous sexual connotation, and because he offered an image that was frisky and playful. I put him in a tuxedo to add the idea of sophistication. there was another editorial consideration, too. since both 'the new yorker' and 'esquire' use men as their symbols, I felt the rabbit would be distinctive; and the notion of a rabbit dressed up in formal evening attire struck me as charming, amusing and right.' added art paul, 'if I had any idea how important that little rabbit was going to be, I probably would have redrawn him a dozen times to make certain I was doing him justice, and I suppose none of those versions would have turned out as well as the original. as it was, I did one drawing and that was it. I probably spent all of half an hour on it.' the original drawing of the rabbit --- the bunny icon ? a shrewd marketing strategy had transformed the bunny icon from a dopey adolescent idea (rabbits, see, they like sex -- lots of it) to an immediately recognizable symbol of sophistication and style. the rabbit was so well known that in 1959 a new york reader was able to send 'playboy' a letter with the rabbit head as the only address. --- what was the big bunny? the big bunny was a 119-foot long DC-9 jet that became the most famous private plane in the world. painted black with a white rabbit head on its tail, it carried hef between his chicago and los angeles homes and around the world. it was equipped with a galley, living room, disco, movie and video equipment, a wet bar and sleeping quarters for 16 guests. the company sold the plane in 1976 after hef settled in los angeles. hef's private black jet --- is it true that hef has an animal species named for him? yes. as a tribute to hef, the discoverers of a certain endangered marsh rabbit gave it the scientific classification of 'sylvilagus palustris hefneri'. all images courtesy playboy http://www.playboy.com --- nostalgic about 'playboy' life back in the day... dress up in disco-style in rhinestone-studded merchandise designed by pippa brooks from soho's (london- brewer street) naughty shop 'shopgirl'. to promote 'shop' she was photographed for the US magazine 'jane' wearing a vintage 'playboy' bunny necklace. when the issue came out, 'playboy' contacted her, asking if she wants to stock other items. 'I adore this aesthethic: sexy 70s pin-up glamour, so I was amazed when 'playboy' agreed that I could design my own 'playboy' collection, using the bunny logo for lingerie, jewellery, t-shirts...' (pippa appears as playmate in the febbruary issue 2001 of 'playboy' magazine.)         http://www.playboystore.com

 PLAYBOY Hefner's dedication to Playboy cost him his marriage in 1959, but during the 1960s he was consoled by the unparalleled growth of his magazine and by numerous girl friends. In 1964 Playboy was selling 2 million copies a month, and by 1968, 5 million. The 1960s were Playboy's golden age. Playboy Enterprises' "private key" clubs, staffed by "bunny" waitresses in skintight costumes complete with ears and tails, opened in major American cities and abroad. The company built hotel resorts and soon added not only modeling agencies but film, book, and record companies to the empire. Hefner traveled the world in the Big Bunny, his private jet, and divided the rest of his time between a mansion in Chicago and one in Los Angeles. By 1972 circulation had hit 7 million copies a month, earning $12 million in profits for the year. Then, in 1973, disaster struck. The U.S. experienced a recession, and in addition Playboy faced stiff competition owing to the proliferation of more explicit men's magazines such as Penthouse. Circulation plummeted 2.5 million a month within a year, while Playboy clubs and resorts went seriously into the red. What followed has been nicknamed the "public wars." Accustomed to constant success, Playboy executives panicked. As Hefner later admitted, "We went through a period when we lost our bearings and started imitating the imitators." The June, 1973, issue featured the first Playboy centerfold showing public hair. After that, suggestive poses introduced eroticism as standard policy. Two covers in 1975, one implying lesbianism and the other masturbation and both reflecting the new trend, backfired. Conservative advertisers rebelled, and some withdrew their accounts from Playboy. Modern Operations: By 1976 Playboy Enterprises was in trouble. Realizing this, Hefner hired a professional newspaper business manager named Derick Daniels to run the empire. Daniels recognized quickly that Playboy Enterprises' rambling diversification was losing the company millions. He closed several unprofitable Playboy clubs and hotels; reduced budgets, especially those of the film and record companies; and cut the payroll by firing 100 employees--70 in one day--including five vice-presidents. The purges were effective and Daniels led the company back to concentrating on magazine publishing, meanwhile encouraging one other profitable sector: Playboy's London gambling casinos. With Daniels in charge of Playboy Enterprises, Hefner zeroed in on Playboy magazine's problems. Photo essays now are centered on such "wholesome" subjects as the "Girls of the Big Ten," while renewed emphasis has been placed on high-quality written content. In a few years, the Hefner-Daniels team has successfully revived Playboy Enterprises. Circulation of the magazine has stabilized, and company profits have risen because of increased advertising at higher rates and large profits from the London gambling clubs. 75% of which are petrodollars lost by Arab high rollers. Also, Daniels is approaching Playboy with a new business professionalism. Recently he remarked dryly: "I spend more time with balance sheets than with bunnies." The latest Playboy Enterprises innovation is a casino being constructed in Atlantic City, N.J., at a cost of over $50 million.