Press Release: Corbis Becomes Playboy’s Newest Playmate
Corbis Rights Representation to License Playboy Imagery
SEATTLE (September 04, 2006) Corbis (www.corbis.com), today announced the addition of iconic imagery from Playboy Enterprises Inc. to its diverse offering of digital media content. This is the first time Playboy will allow a visual solutions provider to license its imagery for commercial use. The unique and original content will be available through Corbis beginning September 5, 2006. The collection, which combines retro images that reflect the brand's rich heritage with contemporary classics, includes illustrations, pictures of Hugh Hefner and Playboy Bunnies, as well as lifestyle images.
Playboy has a long legacy of tradition and style that is exuded in their images. Each illustration and photo in this nostalgic collection conveys the Playboy style that defined the times. Corbis Rights Representation is able to offer that to a broader audience seeking to evoke the Playboy lifestyle in their own creations, while maintaining the standards that Playboy Enterprises, Inc., is always careful to protect.
"Playboy sets the gold standard as an international consumer brand. Their images are classic, iconic, fun, and connect with people in the same way Playboy always has," said Gary Shenk, senior vice president of images at Corbis. �We�re thrilled to partner with Playboy, making the images available around the world.
"We take protection of the Playboy brand very seriously," said Christie Hefner, Chairman and CEO of Playboy. "This is the first time we've allowed a partner to represent our imagery to the trade for commercial use. It was critical to us that we chose the very best licensing partner for this amazing collection of imagery. Corbis has a global reach into editorial and commercial markets and they have an established, respected brand. This partnership with Corbis gives us a meaningful opportunity to tap into new, important markets."
Playboy and Corbis plan to celebrate the initial licensing agreement at the Victor Hotel in Chicago on September 7 with a party and sneak preview of the collection. The majority of these images are illustrations, with the balance being the lifestyle iconography and images of Mr. Hefner and Playboy Bunnies. Additional images are expected to be added to the collection in the coming months.
Christie Hefner and Corbis' Chief Creative Officer Ross Sutherland will both attend the event. Commenting on the new agreement, Sutherland said, "These images are classic and fun. They have a retro appeal that really puts us in touch with a globally recognized style and tell a great story about a unique period in time. They are a natural fit for Corbis which has the world's largest collection of iconic imagery."
"Playboy established a precedent for impressive images in their category and no other company has built such a well recognized brand with so many facets for delivering their product," he noted.
Ms. Christine Santiago, Playboy's 2003 Playmate of the Year, will also attend the collection viewing.
About Corbis
Corbis is a world leader in digital media. By providing the industry's richest array of digital image licensing, rights services, artist representation and media management, Corbis enables creative innovation for advertising, corporate marketing and editorial clients. Corbis is headquartered in Seattle, with 20 offices throughout North America, Europe and Asia.
About Playboy
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 globally via DVD and a network of web sites including Playboy.com, a leading men's lifestyle and entertainment web site; and licenses the Playboy trademark internationally for a range of consumer products and services.
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Media Contacts:
Diane Aboulafia-D'Jaen
Corbis
Ph# 206-373-6309
Jay Kolbe
Weber Shandwick
Ph# 212-445-8215
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