A rabbit in a bow tie
Playboy art director Art Paul created the rabbit-head silhouette wearing a tuxedo bow tie. It first appeared as an endnote in the magazine’s second issue and was subsequently adopted as its logo.
From page detail to identity
The emblem also became a recurring hidden element in cover illustrations and photographs. Its movement from a small editorial detail to a repeated identity device offers a clear example of a magazine developing a graphic motif across different uses.
What to examine
Study how the ears, profile and bow tie establish the image with a compact set of shapes. Then compare an isolated logo with a cover in which it is concealed. One setting asks for immediate recognition; the other turns recognition into a search. That difference makes the mark useful for examining how an identity can function both as a signature and as part of a publication’s visual play.