Growth Explosion

If the 1950s are to be considered successful for Playboy, then the 1960s would have to be called unimaginable. At the start of a new decade, circulation of Playboy magazine was enjoying a comfortable 1 million copies per month with revenues of over $5 million pouring in each year. Playboy had made its mark and was here to stay. By 1961, the company grew to become a $20 million empire, and by 1969, yearly sales hit $96 million with circulation exceeding 5.5 million per month. Timing again played an important role in the growth of the Playboy brand when the 1960s ushered in a broader call for a sexual revolution that swept across America. Playboy stood proudly in the forefront of the call for change, and Hugh Hefner spoke out vehemently for the freedoms he felt all people should enjoy. Publicity and the buzz around Hugh Hefner and Playboy continued to grow, and ongoing brand extensions in the 1960s expanded the brand’s reach significantly.