Commentary

Playboy Launches Mobile App, No Skin

Playboyhas launched a new mobile app, called Playboy Now -- but let’s clarify right now that there are no nudie pictures included. Instead of the pub's legendary cheesecake, the app will focus on its equally legendary articles, which have allowed generations of men to explain away those well-thumbed magazines by the john. It’s not porn, it’s intellectual, see?  

Well it turns out maybe they were telling the truth. According to the New York Post, the launch of Playboy Now comes a little less than a year after the main Playboy.com Web site relaunched in August 2014, repositioning the brand’s digital presence as a men’s general interest and lifestyle site, also without the nudity. Since then Playboy says the Web site’s global monthly unique visitors have soared from four million to 19 million.

Clearly there’s real demand for all the other stuff Playboy has to offer, with the added advantage that advertisers will feel more comfortable as well (at least in some categories). Playboy senior vice-president of digital content Cory Jones tells the Post that most of the Web site’s traffic comes after 4pm, adding: “So if you’re a spirits advertiser or an entertainment advertiser, imagine who’d you rather reach -- someone at his desk at 9 a.m. or someone in a bar after work figuring out what to do that evening.”

The new app includes a daily briefing, “The Daily,” along with more in-depth articles and video content. In addition to general-interest content, other categories include sports, entertainment, music and technology, as well as “guy trends”: usually a catchall covering grooming, food, clothing and cars, among other things. And yes, there will also be stuff about girls -- just with their clothes on.

Next story loading loading..