When Hugh Hefner started Playboy Magazine and the Playboy empire in 1953 he said he chose the rabbit for its 'humorous sexual connotation,' and because the image was 'frisky and playful'. Well he was certainly right because 60 years later men still adore watching women dressed up as iconic Playboy Bunnies. T Historically, Playboy Bunnies were waitresses at the Playboy Clubs but as the clubs closed down the sex toy world found itself in need of the costume to enhance peoples sex lives.