PART VI A BRAND RISES BACK TO THE TOP—THE 2000s AND THE FUTURE

TABLE VI Timeline—The 2000s 2000: City of renames the portion of Walton Street where the original Mansion was located as Hugh M. Hefner Way. An episode of Sex and the City is fi lmed at the Playboy Mansion and features as a guest. 2001: The fi rst international Playboy branded Web site launches at Playboy.de. Two online gaming sites debut at PlayboySportsBook.com and PlayboyCasino.com. A wax statue of Hugh Hefner is added to the Hollywood Wax Museum. 2002: First free-standing Playboy concept store opens in Tokyo, Japan. Hugh Hefner receives the Henry Johnson Fisher Award for lifetime achieve- ment from the Magazine Publishers of America. 2003: 50th anniversary of Playboy magazine. 2004: The Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas announces the construction of the Hugh Hefner Sky Villa. 2005: Playboy: The Mansion video game launches. Playboy magazine goes digital. The Girls Next Door debuts on E! Entertainment. 2006: debuts on SIRIUS satellite radio. Playboy venue at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas opens. Club Jenna, Inc. is acquired. New online store for women, ShoptheBunny.com, opens. 2007: Playboy store opens in London (fi rst in Europe). PlayboyU.com launches. iPlayboy for Apple iPhone launches. Playboy Island debuts in Second Life. PlayboyGaming.com debuts.

149 A BRAND RISES BACK TO THE TOP—THE 2000s AND THE FUTURE

2008: 55th anniversary of Playboy magazine. Playboy debuts on Twitter. com. Mobile game Playboy Games: Pool Party launches. Mobile reality series, Interns, debuts. closes DVD business. 2009: Playboy publishing and online businesses merge into a single divi- sion. A revamped Playboy.com Web site is launched. Playboy Manager.com online game launched. Playboy online gaming sites are shut down. Playboy offi ces in New York City are moved to Chicago. leaves Playboy Enterprises. Scott Flanders named new CEO of Playboy Enterprises.

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