Just last month, Playboy announced that it would no longer feature nude photos in its U.S. edition magazine. This month, however, the brand has come up with a new way to continue promoting its “nude women”—or rather, its artistic flair.
Playboy has teamed up with Burton, a snowboard company with 40 years of history, to launch a Retro Tattoo series of snowboards. The three nude women featured on the boards were models who appeared in the pages of Playboy during the 1970s and 1980s. Tattoo artist Chris Nunez added some tattoo designs based on the original images.
Retro Tattoo Series Snowboards
This is what they actually look like
These are part of Burton’s 2016 winter new product line. The boards in this series are sold both in Burton’s global physical stores and online, each priced at $479. Some will also be available in stock at Burton’s flagship store, but not put on display.
Why not display them in the flagship store? Fear of public backlash.
Actually, this isn’t the first time Playboy and Burton have collaborated. As early as 2008, the two companies worked together to feature Playboy bunnies on snowboards, which led to protests by over 150 people at Burton’s flagship store, bans on the bunny-themed boards at five major U.S. ski resorts, and even plans by the Burlington city council—where Burton’s headquarters is located—to hold a meeting with the company.
However, Burton seems unfazed and has gone ahead with the release of the retro nude series this winter. “We support the free expression of art,” said company founder Jake Burton in an email. “The artwork on the snowboards is a form of art. We know it may offend some people, but it can also inspire others.” They believe this series will appeal to collectors.
“Playboy’s 62-year history promotes personal freedom, and nudity is just one aspect of its brand image, not the main focus,” said Burton spokesperson John Valutin. Burton is leveraging Playboy’s spirit of freedom to promote itself.
Ski schools have expressed strong disappointment with the collaboration, believing such art objectifies women. Win Smith, owner of Sugarbush Ski Resort, also stated, “We do support freedom of speech, and the U.S. doesn’t have censorship, but we won’t sell these snowboards. If someone wants to use them, that’s okay, but if they’re placed at the entrance of a family-oriented center, we’ll remove them.”
(Source: The Paper (Qdaily) | Author: Wen Xinyu)