• Chicago Tribune, Thursday, May 14, 2009 9:30 AM

Look for the iconic Playboy magazine brand on even more products as the media company looks to expand its global licensing business.

Jerome Kern, Playboy Enterprises' interim CEO, wants to make the Playboy bunny more mainstream by expanding what last year was a $40.4 million business. The goal "is to create products and distribution deals that can work across a wide array of hip and mass market retailers, domestically and internationally," says Alex Vaickus, who oversees Playboy's global licensing. The company brands apparel, jewelry, accessories, an energy drink, men's fragrances and resort venues.

The magazine's June issue, set to hit newsstands soon, is expected to offer "a younger and fresher look," say executives, while Kern has insists there must be "radical changes to the magazine business model." The company posted a first-quarter net loss of $13.7 million this week.

Read the whole story at Chicago Tribune »