Friday, August 04, 2006

Rabbit to Make Appearance in Playboy Back Cover Ad

Text from Volkswagen of America.
Rabbits’ and ‘Bunnies’ Join Forces for Unique Back Cover Advertisement Shoot and Cameo

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. – The Volkswagen Rabbit logo mimics its distant cousin, the official Playboy Rabbit Head logo, in an ad on the back cover of the September issue of Playboy, due on newsstands Friday, August 4.

The back cover, which showcases a rear view of cover models Holly Madison, Bridget Marquardt and Kendra Wilkinson, stars of E! Entertainment Television’s The Girls Next Door, was produced using special simultaneously shot front and back cover images. This unique cover photo perspective, a first for Playboy, features the Volkswagen Rabbit logo making a special cameo appearance on Holly’s lower back. The surprise Rabbit sighting is the first time that Playboy has featured a rear view perspective on the back cover of the magazine.

“The return of the Rabbit to the North American market has been extremely well received. The Playboy opportunity was a great chance to unite two famous and iconic brands,” said Volkswagen's Director of Brand Innovation Kerri Martin.

The issue kicks off the second season of the reality show The Girls Next Door, which gives viewers an inside look at life at the Playboy Mansion through the eyes of Hugh Hefner’s three girlfriends Holly, Bridget and Kendra.

In early 2006, Volkswagen announced that it was going back to its roots with the original Rabbit nameplate for the U.S. and Canadian markets. The new Rabbit hopped into the market this summer, and has already jumped into the eyes of consumers and onto the cover of a leading iconic lifestyle magazine. The Rabbit is sold in both two and four-door versions, with pricing starting at $14,990 for the two-door.

Founded in 1955, Volkswagen of America, Inc. is headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan. It is a subsidiary of Volkswagen AG, headquartered in Wolfsburg, Germany. Volkswagen is one of the world’s largest producers of passenger cars and Europe’s largest automaker. Volkswagen sells the Rabbit, New Beetle, New Beetle convertible, Jetta, GTI, GLI, Passat, Passat Wagon, Touareg and Phaeton through more than 600 independent U.S. dealers.