June Edition of Playboy Goes 3D – Hitting stands this Friday

Over the past couple of years, 3D movies have become a popular choice for filmmakers and audiences. And this month, Playboy reveals that the magazine industry can also take advantage of the 3D method to enhance viewing pleasure.

Like the popular movies “Avatar” and “How to Train Your Dragon,” which utilized 3D glasses to make the picture pop, Playboy readers can now experience something similar with this month’s edition.

The June edition, which hits newsstands this Friday, May 14th is just like those 3D movies: you put on 3D glasses and you get to see the picture come out at you. However, the content of the centerfold will be quite different from what you saw in “Avatar” or “How to Train Your Dragon.”

Playboy founder Hugh Hefner asked what people would most like to see in 3D, and responded himself by saying, “Probably a naked lady.”

The 3D centerfold is one of Playboy’s tactics to increase magazine sales, as circulation has dropped from 3.5 million in 2006 to 1.5 million today. With the ease and ubiquity of its competition—the Internet, Playboy’s 3D centerfold hopes to remind people that magazines are more personal and your own.

In return, HBO’s hit show “True Blood” will receive tons of publicity. Playboy’s marketing department worked with the HBO show to put the 3D edition into action. To market their show, they put a “True Blood” stamp on all the 3D glasses—so whenever readers sit down to uhh, read their Playboy they’ll see the “True Blood” advertisement. And it’s not the most out-of-place ad, if you’ve ever seen “True Blood” (there’s plenty of sexy content).

The 3D June centerfold features Hope Dworaczyk, the 51^st playmate of the Year. And with the 3D glasses, according to Playboy spokeswoman Theresa Hennessey, everything in the photo looks ‘bigger’. With the virtually real Hope Dworaczyk jumping out at you from the centerfold, readers can imagine what it’s like to live in the world of Hugh Hefner.

So if you like naked ladies, sexy vampires, or any combination of the two, be sure to check out Playboy’s June edition. And regardless of whether you like the 3D idea or not, don’t worry—there will still be ample 2D photos as well.

*Photo  from ‘masterwitz’ via Flickr

*Photo from ‘Phillie Casablanca’ via Flickr