Hugh Hefner was identified as the face of Playboy for decades. Even though he’s gone and the family is not involved, these allegations in the consumer’s mind is that they associate him with the brand.

Derek Hudson

How do they break apart from [Hefner]? What do they do? We’ve seen some of this commentary in their statements, but still, advertisers seeing these accusations think of Hefner whenever the term Playboy is brought up. They’re synonymous. At some point, they’re really going to have to do a hard break for Hefner.

Announce some kind of internal review, share what was uncovered, condemn the wrongdoings, and move forward as a brand no longer associated with Hefner.