Playboy Jumps Into Bed With YouTube

Playboy is announcing today the launch of an online search for the best video submissions from hopeful Playboy models which they call the first "Social Media Casting Call". YouTube is acting as the video host for this exciting competition. From what I can gather, this is the first time YouTube is being used to host a contest that will eventually lead to nudity. Is this too far for YouTube to go in terms of the family-friendly view the public holds for YouTube?

The prizes include a trip to Los Angeles, a spread on playboy.com, and a "chance" at being a playmate. I put quotes around chance as the site clearly states that this is not a guarantee even though the marketing suggests that it is.

The contest details are here and the YouTube channel is available for your entries. One interesting bit from the FAQ:

What role will the YouTube community have on this search?
We are counting on the democracy of the YouTube community to help lift the best videos to the top, based on most-viewed, highest-rated, etc. That's not to say that Playboy's editors won't have their own ideas about which ones are best; our editors will have the final word, but we definitely have our eye on what the community thinks.

Of course, per the YouTube TOS, no nudity is allowed in these demo videos. I've embedded an instructional video in case you would like to submit an entry into the Playboy contest. The video is safe for work if you are allowed to view a woman in a bikini/covering her assets.

ON a related topic, Playboy is seeking a vice president of content.