A New Generation of Playboy Centerfolds Is at the Center of the Company’s First Sleepwear Collection

Playboy is more than a household name. It’s an iconic magazine, brand and lifestyle — an epicenter of sex and pleasure that has defined male desire, sex, and what gets us off for nearly 70 years now. Few outfits are as immediately recognizable as the black bustier and bunny ears; few logos are as easily clocked as Playboy’s rabbit. Yet despite its staying power, the Playboy of today is not the Playboy your father grew up with under his mattress; it’s not even the Playboy we watched on the Girls Next Door as teens. The brand has undergone a major reckoning over the last decade as the cultural discourse has shifted to better address gender violence and sexism in media.

Now, the gentleman’s magazine created by and for the male gaze is a brand being run by women who prioritize inclusion and progressive practices. As SPY has reported previously, Playboy now makes most of its revenue from merchandise such as apparel and accessories, with the majority of those sales coming from women and people under the age of 34. Just last week the brand launched a new lingerie collection, The Essentials, as well as its first denim line.

The brand has also introduced Centerfold, an online platform where invite-only creators can apply to use the platform to share monetized content with subscribers (a la OnlyFans and similar platforms). But being able to host content on a Playboy platform isn’t the only benefit that comes with being a Centerfold creator — this week Playboy launches a brand new Playboy sleepwear campaign modeled entirely by the new generation of Playboy Centerfold creators.

“Playboy has always been a launching pad for talent, from writers and artists to musicians and models, and today, with our universally recognized brand across fashion, lifestyle, and hospitality, we’re uniquely positioned to give our Playboy creators unrivaled opportunities that they can’t get anywhere else,” says Rachel Webber, Chief Brand Officer. “This campaign is just one example. We have a very diverse network of both up-and-coming and established talent on the Playboy creator platform, and we’re using our global resources to help boost their successes.”

I spoke with the content creators selected for the brand’s first ever Centerfold holiday campaign; they all gushed about how exciting it is to be featured in the campaign for such a brand they grew up dreaming about working with.

“Working with Playboy is literally a dream come true. Ten years ago I couldn’t imagine someone who looks like being a part of Playboy and Centerfold has given me the opportunity to fulfill that dream. Being a part of Playboy has changed me as a person — I am more confident and celebrate what makes me different and that’s the sexiest thing in the world to me!” said Courtney Black, a tattooed content creator with Centerfold who is featured in the new campaign. “Shooting the Holiday campaign is so special and quintessential Playboy. I remember flipping through old issues and being obsessed with the Holiday shoots from the 60s and 70s. The opportunity to meet other creators and work with the entire Playboy team on this shoot has been incredible.”

The campaign has all the glitz and sexiness that defines Playboy; a naughty slumber party featuring the lingerie and sleepwear in the collection that is as cozy as it is sensual — the latest in the brand’s move into consumer goods — and just in time for the holidays.

“I always dreamed about working with Playboy, so it’s definitely a surreal feeling. I’m so excited to be a part of this collection, mixing playboy and Christmas, what could be better? We’re making Christmas sexy over here!” says Centerfold creator Gabby Firek.

The campaign was shot by Carianne “Peggy” Older, who also told SPY that working with Playboy has been a dream since she was a teen. “My mom was a huge Playboy fan and put me on to the bunny at an early age… The team at Playboy makes me feel right at home with every shoot we do. Working with a team of amazing women is so empowering and important.”

By using Centerfold creators in this campaign, the company wants to elevate these creators from the platform to a Playboy model status, and hopefully create opportunities and exposure.

“I love what Playboy stands for today — female empowerment, creative self expression, and truly living life to its fullest,” says Centerfold Creator Anya Nicolodi. “I’m so excited to connect with my fans in a safe space where I can truly be me and show off all of the exclusive content I create. I grew up admiring superstars like Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell and Kate Moss when they were featured in the pages of Playboy, and now I’m getting my chance to be a part of this iconic brand’s future — I almost have to pinch myself.”

All of this — the inclusion and the empowerment — is deliberate, a way of positioning the Playboy brand for a decidedly post-Hugh Hefner future. Earlier in 2022, the Playboy brand was rocked by the Secrets of Playboy docuseries, which portrayed a darker side of Hugh Hefner and the historic Playboy. The leaders behind the new Playboy told SPY that they believe empowerment and sex are not at odds, a message that seems to be resonating with sex-positive young people who aren’t afraid of frank depictions of sexuality.

Despite the new messaging, Playboy Centerfold tries to retain that quintessential balance of raunch and glamor that plastered teenage boys walls and defined what it means to be sexy for generations. The difference is that today’s Playboy is designed by and for the creators who benefit from its notoriety. With Playboy Centerfold, the company wants to center diverse creators to better reflect the many ways we express our sexuality and experience desire.

“When we ended our print publication, we challenged ourselves with the question: how can we continue to be that unequaled platform on which the world’s most daring creators and provocative personalities can freely and openly express themselves?” says Webber. “Our answer is the Playboy creator platform. It takes the former Playboy magazine into a new and exciting era; most importantly, we empower our Creators well beyond just being on the pages of a physical magazine — they are now directly in the driver’s seat — engaging with their audiences and earning meaningful revenue on an ongoing basis.”

She says fans of the brand can expect to see Centerfold creators become central to the ecosystem of the brand; they will be part of fashion modeling opportunities, experiential and editorial partnerships, fashion collaborations, social features, digital content features, and more.

This “new era of Bunnies”, as they call themselves, are a group of inclusive and empowered women, she says. These creators, like the brand itself, reflect the reality that sexy is not just one thing. Today, sex appeal is not defined by men or CEOs in a board room. Sexy is for everyone, and now, so is Playboy.

To apply to become a Playboy Creator, visit https://www.centerfold.com/apply and to meet Playboy creators, visit https://www.centerfold.com/. Keep scrolling to see items from the new unisex Playboy sleepwear collection, available now at the Playboy online store.