Defending the Brand

Abstract

American society changed dramatically in the 1960s. The inward-looking, family-centric norms of social behavior were no longer enough for people as communication traveled faster, and they found themselves with more leisure time thanks to better technology. People began to speak out against social inequalities and governmental leadership they didn’t agree with. The simple, self-indulgent lifestyle depicted on the pages of Playboy had to change with society in order to remain relevant. For Hugh Hefner, the goal wasn’t so much to retain brand relevancy as it was to be seen as a thought leader defending personal freedoms and fighting against the inequalities he detested for so long.

I never thought of Playboy as a sex magazine. It was a lifestyle magazine.

Hugh Hefner, 2003 Interview with Charlie Rose