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Playboy Enterprises Appoints Jimmy Jellinek to New Position of Editorial Director of Playboy magazine and Playboy.com

Posted on: Thursday, 22 January 2009, 13:57 CST

CHICAGO, Jan. 22 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Playboy Enterprises, Inc. (PEI) (NYSE: PLA, PLAA) today announced the promotion of Jimmy Jellinek, previously the Division Senior Vice President of Digital Content, to Editorial Director of Playboy's combined print and online content. In this newly created position, Jellinek will oversee content for Playboy magazine as well as Playboy.com and Playboy Mobile. This position reports to Playboy Founder, Editor-In-Chief and Chief Creative Officer Hugh M. Hefner and will be based in Chicago.

"Jimmy and I have talked at length about the print and digital editorial direction," said Hefner. "Our brand combined with the heritage of our magazine and reach of our digital platforms give us the opportunity to create unique new content experiences. I am very excited about the opportunities inherent in this new structure, and I am particularly pleased to be working with Jimmy to build on the success of Playboy magazine and the vitality of Playboy.com."

Chris Napolitano, previously the Editorial Director of Playboy magazine, will serve as Editor-At-Large and will be based in New York. He will be responsible for maintaining Playboy's editorial presence in New York City and will help integrate Playboy's print and digital properties.

Earlier today, Playboy announced the consolidation of its print and online operations. The two operations have worked cooperatively and shared an advertising sales team; last year, approximately 50% of the Company's advertisers bought both Playboy magazine and Playboy.com. A new Playboy.com website will debut early next month that is more closely integrated with the magazine and is designed to grow total audience and revenues.

"I am greatly honored that Hef has named me to be the Editorial Director of one of the most iconic brands in American history," said Jellinek. "My mission is to create a seamless, enhanced integration between our digital and print properties and maintain Playboy's role as the dominant men's brand."

Jellinek, 34, has spent most of his career as an editor and branding expert in the general-interest men's publishing field. Prior to Playboy, he served as Vice President, Entertainment and Programming, for Heavy.com, where he oversaw all original content and programming. Before joining Heavy.com, Jellinek served as Maxim magazine's Editor-In-Chief, where he ran the editorial operations and acted as the overall brand director with creative control over Maxim.com and other Maxim-related brand extensions. Prior to joining Maxim, Jellinek was Stuff magazine's Editor-In-Chief of all editorial operations, responsible for leading the editorial staff and securing cover talent by establishing and maintaining strong relationships with film studios, record labels, and TV networks. He began his career in publishing at Details magazine as an editorial assistant.

"I am confident that these are the right changes for the magazine, website and the brand," stated Napolitano. "I was an early advocate of combining the publishing and online staffs, but since family obligations prevented a move to Chicago, I am looking forward to my new role as Editor-At-Large and to ensuring the smooth consolidation of our talented editorial teams."

Napolitano, 44, has served as Editorial Director of Playboy magazine since 2004, and was previously its Executive Editor. Napolitano, who began his career with Playboy as an editorial assistant in the fiction department, also has served as Features Editor and Senior Editor. During his tenure, he has established strong relationships with New York's literary community, publishing such authors as Norman Mailer, T.C. Boyle, Kurt Vonnegut, Chuck Palahniuk, Denis Johnson and James Ellroy.

Hefner said: "Chris and I have worked together on the magazine for more than 20 years, and his thoughtful commentary and editing skills have made Playboy a better publication than it would have been otherwise. Through Chris, we will maintain a presence in New York, and I know that we will continue to benefit from his expertise and guidance as we move forward."

About Playboy Enterprises, Inc.

Playboy is one of the most recognized and popular consumer brands in the world. Playboy Enterprises, Inc. is a media and lifestyle company that markets the brand through a wide range of media properties and licensing initiatives. The company publishes Playboy magazine in the United States and abroad and creates content for distribution via television networks, websites, mobile platforms, DVD and radio. Through licensing agreements, the Playboy brand appears in more than 100 countries on a wide range of consumer products, entertainment locations and retail stores.

SOURCE Playboy Enterprises, Inc.

Source: PR Newswire

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