The Rabbit Turns 50: Playboy's Hotly Anticipated 50th Anniversary Issue Hits Newsstands November 28 World-Renowned Literary Names, Groundbreaking Photographic Features And Brand New Advertisers Fill Playboy's Largest Issue In Years NEW YORK, Nov. 24 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Playboy, the world's best selling men's magazine, announced today it will mark its 50th anniversary with a special January 2004 issue, hitting newsstands on Friday, November 28. The milestone issue features a remarkable mix of articles by the nation's best- known writers along with some of the most talented emerging figures on the literary scene. Some of the issue highlights include works by Norman Mailer, George Plimpton, Hunter S. Thompson, Jonathan Safran Foer, architect Frank Gehry, the 50th anniversary Playboy Interview with Jack Nicholson, photographic retrospectives celebrating the most beautiful images of Playboy's first 50 years, Playboy's 50th anniversary Playmate, and much more. Playboy's more than 300-page 50th anniversary issue is the largest issue since January 1989 and the biggest issue in terms of paid advertising in 18 years. Mazda (division of Ford), Calvin Klein Underwear, Audiovox, Bose, Belvedere Vodka and Absolut (with a custom cover gatefold, "Absolut Centerfold") are among Playboy's new and returning advertisers that appear in the January 2004 50th anniversary issue. Some of the editorial features in Playboy's 50th anniversary issue include: -- "Lights, Camera, Fantasy": Spike Lee, Kevin Smith, Brett Ratner and other top filmmakers capture their personal erotic fantasies in the pages of Playboy. -- "My Life With Playboy": In one of his last articles, the late George Plimpton expounds on his long, intimate relationship with Playboy and Hugh Hefner and his adventures at the Chicago and Los Angeles Playboy Mansions. -- "The New Playboy Bachelor Pad": Legendary architect Frank Gehry presents his unique vision of the ultimate urban abode for the 21st century bachelor. -- "The A-List": Quincy Jones, Greg Kinnear, Billy Bob Thornton, Jason Patric, Jerry Bruckheimer and other Hollywood hit makers dress for success in an eight-page fashion layout. -- Original fiction by Scott Turow and Thom Jones, non-fiction by cult writer Chuck Palahniuk and Lauren Weisberger, best selling author of The Devil Wears Prada, and much more. Playboy continues its 50th anniversary celebration with a star-studded gala in New York City on Thursday, December 4, 2003, a cocktail reception at Christie's in New York on December 15, leading up to Christie's auction of Playboy memorabilia on December 17, 2003, and a New Year's Eve party at the Playboy Mansion in Los Angeles. Beginning in February 2004, the "Playboy Club Tour," an exclusive, four-month-long, fully integrated marketing event series sponsored by Chivas Regal and Michelob Light, will roll out the red carpet in 50 U.S. cities. Playboy Enterprises is a brand-driven, international multimedia entertainment company that publishes editions of Playboy magazine around the world; operates Playboy and Spice television networks and distributes programming via home video and DVD globally; licenses the Playboy and Spice trademarks internationally for a range of consumer products and services; and operates Playboy.com, a leading men's lifestyle and entertainment Web site. DATASOURCE: Playboy Enterprises CONTACT: Lauren Melone of Playboy Enterprises, +1-212-261-5000, ext. 3188,

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