PLAYBOY

Licensed Consumer
Products

Playboy Founder and Editor-in-Chief, Hugh M. Hefner, set out in 1953 to create a sophisticated men’s magazine that inspired a media empire and six decades later, remains one of the most recognizable brands in the world today. With over a hundred licensees worldwide, Playboy came to CAA to align their licensing business with the brand's strategy and create consumer products targeting a multinational consumer base.

As the Associate Design Director at CAA (Creative Artists Agency), I captained a design team to develop licensed consumer products and transform the brand with a focus on cultural relevance and nostalgia. We drove macro / micro trend research, created the brand and product strategy, defined property themes, identified product category opportunities, and created the brand bible. Leveraging fashion trends, global art, and marketplace insights, we then developed five global product lines - Playboy, Playboy 1953, Playboy Bunny, Playboy Physical, and Playboy VIP.  For each sub brand, I supervised a team of artists and apparel designers to create a library of seasonal graphic artwork and textile patterns. I created 100+ page style guides and packaging standards to ensure brand consistency and integrity. Traveling to Shanghai, I collaborated with licensee teams and manufacturers to solve regional challenges, create localized designs, and manage product production.

After founding my own design agency, I continued to captain all design initiatives for the licensing program for multiple seasons, establishing seasonal trends and themes, overseeing artwork design, and training Playboy’s in-house design team on printing and production.

Result: Work was pivotal in creating a +$1.5B annual revenue stream for the brand

Collaborated with: Chief Creative Officer: Alice Ann Wilson | Designer: Josh Pineda | Fabrication Consultant: Monica Magdas Miller

Brand Book

Playboy 1953 Apparel
Collection

For the Playboy 1953 apparel collection, we chose the nostalgic boogie nights of the 1970's as inspiration. Radical roller disco parties. High scores at the arcade. A groovy vinyl on the turntable. Bunny fever, Baby.