The latest merchandise play for lifestyle brand Playboy Group is another American classic: jeans.
While Playboy has lent its name to a range of products throughout its 70-year history, including jewelry, shoes, robes and, of course, a captain’s hat, Playboy Denim marks the brand’s “first owned and operated” line of jeans.
Styles for men and women are available on Playboy.com, as well as the brand’s retail popup in Los Angeles that opened in October.
The initial collection includes 18 styles for men and women in a variety of styles and cuts, all featuring Playboy’s infamous bunny logo. Prices range from $80 to $110.
In a statement, Jason Mahler, vp of design at Playboy Group, parent of the namesake publication that bills itself as “a pleasure and leisure company,” said Playboy Denim leans on the media company’s well-known logos and “[interprets] them for a modern customer through custom rivets and leather jacrons, embellished graphics, patches and prints.”
Playboy Denim follows the release of Playboy Lingerie in November. These product lines in turn reflect a massive shift for the media company following changes in consumer behavior, as well as founder Hugh Hefner’s death in 2017.
After going public in February 2021, the brand has reinvented itself as more of a lifestyle company with consumer products. That includes the aforementioned lingerie line, as well as a series of NFT drops and even the revival of a private jet known as the Big Bunny.
While the Big Bunny is sadly not for sale, chief brand and strategy officer Rachel Webber previously told Adweek it is an important brand asset that helps influencers experience Playboy, referring to the jet as “a small, flying [Playboy] Mansion.”
J. Daren Metropoulos, principal at investment firm Metropoulos & Co.—which has purchased stakes in distressed brands such as Hostess, Pabst Blue Ribbon and Chuck E. Cheese—bought the Playboy Mansion for $100 million in 2016. According to reports, it is currently undergoing renovations.
“We have seen strong demand for Playboy-branded denim through our licensing collaborations,” said Ashley Kechter, president of global consumer products at Playboy Group. “We look forward to continued expansion of our owned-and-operated business and will leverage these new product lines across the Playboy ecosystem, including through our robust creator network.”
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