Hugh Hefner

What is required to turn the thing in tovarN Packaging, brand, an impressive circulation and good consumer properties. In the middle of XX century there was a man who decided: "If you can sell cars and cigarettes, why not sell erotikuN not pornography, but beautiful and elegant product". This man has two names: King of Industry eroticism and Hugh Hefner. Behind him - a huge empire, a thriving and well-known almost everyone in the world. For him - plays a bunny Playboy.
50-60-ies. America. Boom industry of consumer goods. "Down with the austerity of the war years, let us wear pretty things, eat tasty food, ride a big new car!" That was the era of the first vacuum cleaners and dishwashers - never seen before that time "monster home". For the emancipation and a variety of temptations already become peep freedom of body and spirit. Growing up a new post-war generation. Their young and progressive, after the war becomes more than people mature and conservative. From his backwoods towns they are traveling in large industrial centers, captured a swirl of rapid urbanization of America. Young people, "hot guys". They need a new image, a new culture, free and devoid of sanctimonious stagnation. They begin to drink in all this "science", trying to meet all the new, trendy, relaxed image. Images of the new heroes were in the air. Here's James Bond, a modern superman, equally feel uncomfortable and all-important operation, and in bed with another beauty. Duration of light appears in the erotic film, literature, theater. Skirts no longer on the ankle and knee. Women's shoulders are no longer covered by cloaks and boas, and dresses cut on the deeper. New generation of rapidly creates its own culture of consumption.
Puritan-caricaturist
At the beginning of XX century dynasty Hefnerov was well known in American religious circles in America. Protestants Glen and Grace were famous hereditary conservatism - among their ancestors were distinguished Massachusetts Puritan patriarchs William Bradford Church and John Winthrop. Direct descendant of the pillars of Puritanism, Hugh Hefner, the eldest son of Glenn and Grace, was born in Chicago April 9, 1926. He attended primary, and later - high school in Chicago. Was a mediocre student, though clever. At that time, came into vogue tests to determine the level of intelligence, and his IQ zashkalil: 152 in the standard rate of 100 - 110. And apart from the mind still seething energy: Hugh Hefner organized a wall newspaper, with pleasure drew cartoons and caricatures, and at one time was president of the student council.

In January of 1944 Hef, as everyone called him, graduated to higher education. Immediately after the army, where he still draws cartoons all day. This is so it attracts, . that after demobilization in 1946 he entered the short-term summer courses of anatomy at the Chicago Art Institute, . completing their, . and after a course of almost a miracle - in spite of the endless mediocre ratings - goes to the University of Illinois at the Faculty of Arts,
.

Education is over for him is very typical-marriage, so the question of income rose sharply. Hefner is arranged as an assistant manager of the Chicago cardboard and paper company with a salary of $ 45 per week. And curses everything - run sell cardboard boring and yielded promising. Not surprisingly, at the first opportunity he fled to the advertising department of a famous fashion magazine "Esquire", which began to write slogans, vigorously nazvanivat clients and to write promotional copy. About him speak as the employee, full of promise. But paying $ 60 per week. In January 1951 "Esquire" is moving his office in New York and begins recruiting new staff. Hefner, taking advantage of the situation, asked to raise its bid by $ 5. Denied. A hot-tempered and ambitious, he slams the door: so do not go beyond. Must otherwise.

Know-how N 1: girl of the month - the stranger Monroe

Then he invented his first great invention - the nomination "The Girl of the month". Hefner went to the outskirts of Chicago to his old client and friend, Jon Baumgarten, who had his own small company that sells calendars with beauties. His entire house was littered with old unsold calendars, which have already started to be covered with dust. In one of the piles with puhlogubymi and bolypegrudymi brown, . Brunette and blonde Hefner is an interesting photo blonde girl, . something which reminded him of neighbor, . in which he was in love while studying at school, . with mind-boggling birthmark on his upper lip,
. Who etoN - asked Hef. "And, one of the many aktrisul, which is full of Hollywood" - replied John Baumgart.

Jean Mortenson, sexy blonde, having taken the name of Marilyn Monroe when signing a contract with XX Centure Fox, then was really one of the many, a few boring parts in mediocre films, and no more. Hefner traded short - a friend gave him the photo for $ 50.

Hefner puts it in the pilot issue of its journal. After the publication of the name of Marilyn Monroe has become well known throughout America. Immediately stellar role in the famous "Niagara" by Henry Hathaway. Role commensurate with her talent: a detective story, a fatal passion and the pressures over the whole specter of carnal lust. All this together with the debut of the magazine Hefnera made her a star. And it - beginners stellar publisher.

But the trouble is that he did not know what to fill in the rest of the band of the journal. The editorial in the journal itself was not. Carved photo, pasted, painted, wrote and were read the proofs in cramped conditions, "on the kitchen table" - in a modest apartment Hugh Hefnera. The magazine was released in December 1953. In the output data was not even bear the number: Hefner did not even know when there will be and whether all the following. But the first issue sold more than 50 thousand. copies. This gave Hefneru opportunity to buy paper and pay for printing the next issue. And also think about the title of the journal.
Friend Hefnera, cartoonist Arv Miller once sat in his attic and shove the corners of plush toys - so as not to hinder. And suddenly he said: "Listen! Journal must have their own symbol. Let it be some beast. The choice fell on an unnamed deer (his name was never picked up).

Initially, Hugh Hefner set about trying to call the magazine Stag Party "stag" or "Bachelor Party"). This is the picture and was ready: a deer in a luxurious robe, smoking a cigar, looks at a pocket mirror, putting the last polish before the arrival of the ladies - the embodiment of a successful bachelor.

Everything was ready when Hefneru brought an envelope addressed to him personally. Learning about the new men's publication, the magazine Stag "Bachelor" openly hinted on their copyright on the name and a demanding monetary compensation. Could, of course, to sue, but Hefner did not. I changed the name to Playboy - the first thing that came to mind. Image not particularly altered: Miller removed the antlers pririsoval ears and only slightly changed the face. A little later artistic director of the Arthur Paul created the logo - a rabbit Bunny. And it allowed in circulation. Cufflinks, lighters, ashtrays, bracelets, ties, shirts, socks - the army of hares grew with each passing day.

The August 1955 Playboy issue has brought a sensation that occurred, however, quite by accident. On the cover of rooms in the foam of the waves floated seductive mermaid, and the bottom of her peeping hare-diver. Those few charms, which generally can be a mermaid, prudently covered the strip of seaweed. What was surprising editorial board, when someone from the staff came running with a fresh issue of the magazine, is sent to the sale. Mysteriously printing algae was shifted by only a centimeter, but rather because of the noise that was! Number sold out instantly.

Bunny - favorite fad Hefnera. In the 70, . when he was already very famous and rich, . his request made of black wood plane "Big Bunny", . Hefner and commit it fly from the Chicago headquarters of Playboy in Los Angeles, . where they filmed a new weekly television show "Playboy after dark",
. The plane was the largest (119 feet in length) and the most expensive ($ 5.5 million) among the cars in this class. On board is installed expensive super-modern kitchen equipment for the preparation of feasts, equipped with living room, dance hall, cinema and Video-, bar and even sleeping quarters designed for 16 guests. The owner was the aircraft's own room - with a luxurious shower and a huge oval-shaped bed, a blanket laid by hand-made of Tasmanian opossum fur. Since the image of the same Bunny. In general, it is not surprising that Look magazine named the aircraft "the most extravagant toy in the world," but it did not fail to notice that this toy is "an effective means of aerial advertising branding owner.
After creating Hefner Bunny began to manufacture the next beautiful fairy. Not forgetting that the reader it is not a fool, but an ambitious intellectual.

The next know-how Hefnera became Penthouse - his modest apartment, he has become a worldwide fetish. That is Hefner made from ordinary attic symbol epoch and a certain lifestyle. Penthouse as the embodiment of the ideal dwelling bachelor's penthouse as the ideal place for free thinking and creativity. This idea was immediately picked up.

Only later, when Playboy was one of the most popular magazines in the world, in its pages appeared completely crazy idea, also winning the hearts of millions - a portable Playboy Playhouse. Real Estate, specially designed for it a vacation or holidays, very much like a flying saucer from some science fiction movie - with oval windows all around, easily rising into the air by a helicopter. So, sitting in the cockpit with a dangling rope at the bottom of own Playhouse, it was possible to travel the world, to land where it pleases and to indulge in recreational activities.
. The magazine is thriving, Bunny wins the world, but Hefner realizes that erotica for Playboy - just a smart packaging
. And that need, as conceived, all to stay one step ahead to all the newest immediately found their way to the reader.

And the magazine began to appear unexpected people. Martin Luther King, Jr. talks about the problems of blacks, and Fidel Castro welcomed American capitalism, which "inevitably will intensify the revolutionary struggle in all countries". Even the stars of show business (such as Frank Sinatra and Bob Dylan) said in Playboy is not about frivolous things. In the mid-60's - early 70's, in the heyday of the peace movement, hippies and psychedelics, Playboy club was already in 30 countries. The famous Andy Warhol, ruler of the minds of fashionable young people, made friends with Hefnerom, also debuted in Playboy. Senators in many cities through the Playboy talk about the senselessness of the war in Vietnam and the dangers of drugs. But Hefner leaves his attention, even the president, because he, too, man. Jimmy Carter in November of 1976, as a presidential candidate, publicly confessed to Playboy, that "looking at the many women with lust". And expressed the hope that the Almighty God will forgive him this is quite understandable worldly weakness. The magazine has become a cult. And Hefner "spins" and the cult of Centerfolds as one of the most highly paid and prestigious artists. For many stars of show business and movies Playboy became the launching pad. History with a portrait of Monroe, you already know. Hefner brought to light and Madonna. It was at that time when she was still little-known, moonlighted as a model. Her photo, taken in 1979, appeared in the magazine in September 1985. Pictures have been more than successful: Madonna caused a lot of noise, and the number became a bestseller in the U.S..

In August 1987, little-known Cindy Crawford, walking down the street with his girlfriend Paulina Porizkovoy accidentally bought a number of Playboy. Photos and notes so she liked that it was his ardent admirer. On that shot for the magazine, she had not dreamed. Only much later, when he saw in Playboy photos Brigitte Nielsen - Sylvester Stallone's future wife, she decided to take the risk, not suspecting even as cool after that changed her life. Her photos appeared in the July issue in 1988. Since then, Cindy - one of the most highly paid models in the world.

In the list of friends Hefnera who at various times gave an interview to Playboy, and were active participants in the club, very well-known names: Fidel Castro, Ferdinand and Imelda Markoc, Daniel Ortega, Yasser Arafat, John Lennon and many others.
But too serious Hefner has never been. And always amused with the scope. In 1957, he gathered the staff and the most rich and famous members of the Playboy Club and went with them to cruise on a luxury yacht, where they broke, they say, for the full program. With light hand Hefnera it was called "yacht party". In 1959, noting the fifth anniversary of the magazine, he sponsored a three-day Jazz Festival in Chicago, which was attended by about 30 prominent musicians, including such stars as Dizzy Gillespie and Duke Ellington.

Fascinated others and how Hefner dressed. If a normal working day, he went to free overalls, by the cut and texture reminiscent of pajamas. However, sometimes in a way he was and all-important negotiations, thereby fueling the surrounding legend. "Well, what you want! Fads millionaire," says one other business partners. In the morning he preferred black and dark blue pajamas, and at night always changed them to red or blue. But for close friends Hefner wore a tuxedo. And newspapers have written about this and wrote, the set-tale legend tens and hundreds of times.
In 1985, Hugh Hefner suffered a serious blow, and the doctors urged him to drink only "diet Pepsi". Yes, and live calmer. But although the disease was long and hard, he called it "a blow of fortune: The most famous bachelor world (Hef and his wife divorced in 1959) then found a real life friend. Kimberly Conard, a famous model, in 1989, became his wife, and it remains to this day, delighting her extraordinary husband, a full understanding and support.
Today the empire Playboy - is a powerful holding company with television and radio stations, clubs, web-saiga and, of course, the magazine. Playboy is published in more than 30 countries, including in Russia. In 1998, only corporations Playboy magazine has brought almost $ 320 million income. Web-sites have yielded about $ 5 million. And in terms of sales empire Playboy is the third largest in the world.