It looks as though Hugh Hefner has been inspired by the 3D cleavage featured on the outside back cover of Desktop’s 3D April issue (below), following the announcement that Playboy will release its first 3D centrefold in their June issue, hitting US newsstands from this week.

Playboy founder Hefner has made no secret of hoping to capitalise on the popularity of recent 3-D movies, hoping to increase the magazines declining sales, which have dropped from 3.5 million in 2006 to 1.5 million today.

The magazine’s marketing department has worked with HBO’s True Blood for this promotion, with an ad for the TV show being placed on the glasses – a prime position for when readers sit down to read their issue of Playboy. After all, it is all about the articles, right?

The 3D June centerfold features model Hope Dworaczyk, Playboy’s Playmate of the Year, and sees the glass of wine she is holding and other body parts (you know the ones), popping out from the page.

“We’re constantly trying to do new creative, innovative things to engage our readers,” says Playboy spokeswoman Theresa Hennessey. “But I don’t think we’ll be having 3-D centrefolds in every issue.”

Hefner has said he “wanted to create a 3-D pictorial for the very first issue of Playboy, but didn’t have enough money to include the 3-D glasses”.

This is not the first time Playboy has thought outside the box to try to boost sales – last year saw Marge Simpson grace the November cover, alongside a 3-page pictorial ‘implying nudity’.

Playboy - November 2009 Cover

Desktop - April 2010 Outside back cover