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Editorial Policy and the Old and New PLAYBOY

PLAYBOY's state is a direct reflection of editorial policy -- the cumulative result of editorial decisions made over a long period of time.

(Continue: The main issue is one of stagnation, in particular, stagnation of design. While the design was (initially) (phenomenally) successful, it has been corrupted over time.)

In my view, that policy effectively reduces to one of sticking firmly with an established, (initially) (phenomenally) successful formula (design) for content and, especially, presentation of that content. Over the long term, this amounted to a policy of stagnation; the resulting public perception of PLAYBOY as "tired" is a natural outcome of this policy.

Reviewing the updated PLAYBOY in a Chicago Tribune feature dated June 29, 2003, Tribune Art Director Jason McKean had this to say:

  Claims that this is a new, hip-to-20-somethings PLAYBOY are greatly
  exaggerated. So far, efforts amount to nothing more than a fresh
  coat of paint, not a complete renovation.  The main problem is a
  schizophrenic desire to appeal to multiple generations.  The
  departments of yesteryear remain ... but they're now coupled with
  "youth infusing" sidebars and featurettes... It's a hodgepodge of
  information and ideas that lacks unity in voice, reason or, perhaps
  most important, intrigue.

While I do not think that McKean is entirely accurate in dismissing the updated PLAYBOY as having "nothing more than a fresh coat of paint" (SEE: Comments On The New PLAYBOY), his assessment of the awkward juxtaposition of old and new seems to me to be right on the mark. To be more precise, PLAYBOY today lacks a sense of coherent, unified design: any overall design concept seems very weak.

PLAYBOY's design has been a significant part of its identity and success right from the beginning. For me personally, the strong visual impact of the covers and the centerfolds and the overall elegant look and feel of the magazine were very large contributors to my becoming a loyal PLAYBOY reader: it was an experience I never wanted to miss, and desired to repeat again and again. I was so impressed by the foldout of covers and centerfolds in the 25th Anniversary issue that I became a collector: I bought back issues because I felt I simply had to see them full size to realize the full impact of each issue. I particularly remember the covers as being visually striking, elegant, and playful. I wasn't the only one who thought so: PLAYBOY won many awards for design in the publishing world.

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