Playboy's Comeback Being Led By Newly Crowned Playmate Of The Year Gillian Nation
Playboy has come out swinging with the return of their iconic print magazine. The rebrand in 2015 that got rid of nudity and eventually killed the magazine is in the rearview mirror.
All the scandals that surfaced after the death of founder Hugh Hefner have been put to rest too. They're looking forward and are at the beginning of a major comeback.
The magazine, with celebrity covers and naked centerfolds, is back. The pretending to read it for the articles excuses are right behind it. On the cover for the return is Lori Harvey.
While the beauty influencer and daughter of TV host Steve Harvey landed the cover, it's model Gillian Nation who took home the 2025 Playmate of the Year crown.
The 27-year-old from rural Montana was announced as the face of the company at their Super Bowl party in New Orleans on Saturday. She, according to the Daily Mail, wore a $10 million diamond-studded Playboy Bunny costume to the event.
Playboy Playmate of the Year Gillian Nation is leading the comeback efforts
Nation, reports the outlet, stripped down to lingerie for her appearance in the magazine before going completely naked. The cowgirl theme of her shoot has her pose with bales of hay and a horse corral.
The news of her selection as Playmate of the Year was a complete shock to Nation, who has modeling credits with CoverGirl and Guess, among others. She says that she was the last to find out.
Nation was discovered during Playboy's nationwide Bunny search and, according to the brand, "embodies beauty, confidence, and timeless allure."
They pointed out in a statement, "Gillian Nation now joins the ranks of legendary Playmates, ushering in a new era of bold, empowered femininity."
"I just wanted to give a huge thank you for all the sweet messages and support since the big announcement. My heart feels so full, and it means the absolute world to me! 🤍," Gillian said of her selection as this year's face of the brand.
"Also, a huge thank you to @playboy and their amazing team for bringing this vision to life. It’s an honor to be bringing the print magazine back as Playmate of the Year, and I’m so excited for the year ahead! 🐰"
Not a bad start here for Playboy on their comeback. Will the brand ever be as big as it was at the height of its power? Who knows? That shouldn’t be the goal here.
The goal should be to regain some of the ground they lost when they killed the magazine and went with that idiotic rebrand a decade ago. Then build upon that.
There's room for Playboy and their magazine to still exist. People want to have some fun again and there's no need to bow down to anyone.
If they do that, they'll be fine. They're off to a decent start here. Get to know the newest Playmate of the Year better through her contributions to social media below.