We are, of course, talking about Playboy.

That would be the magazine founded by the enigmatic Hugh Hefner and renowned for its bold shots of full-frontal nudity.

Although the local version sports a swanky new name VIP, it remains a product of Playboy Enterprises, complete with the trademark bunny logo on every issue.

The debut issue of VIP will hit newsstands, major convenience stores and bookshops this Monday.

Priced at $8.90, it is published monthly by Rabbithead Enterprise and distributed by Singapore Press Holdings.

That makes it slightly pricier than the other local men's publications in the market today - FHM is $7.00 and Playeur is $6.90.

Following the Indonesia and Philippines Playboy editions, which were launched in 2006 and last year respectively, this will mark Playboy's third foray into the Southeast Asian market.

Dylan Tan, 34, chief editor of VIP, told The New Paper: 'We got the directive from Playboy's US office that they wanted to expand its reach in Asia and at the same time, reinvent the brand.'

This resulted in a new name and Singapore as the launch pad.

While VIP isn't a deliberate acronym for Very Important Person, it is a symbolic representation of giving readers the best things in life.

Mr Tan said Singapore was chosen 'because we have a strong track record in English publishing - which the bosses wanted as the language medium'.

'Also, they've witnessed similar successful licensed titles here, such as Men's Health and Harper's Bazaar.'

Yet, the popularity of lad mags seems to be on the decline. New Man folded last July, followed by Maxim last December.

But the people behind VIP don't see that as a disadvantage.

Said managing editor Peter Yeo, 36: 'We aim to be a literary men's mag, one with quality content that will fill the void of the thinking man's publication in Singapore.

'Our articles, spanning across a whole spectrum of topics like politics, current affairs and pop culture, will be lengthy and in-depth.'

So boys, if you're lusting after naked pictorials when this publication hits the stands, VIP would not be what you're looking for.

There will be no nudity as the magazine has to toe the line with current Media Development Authority regulations that disallow frontal nudity in all publications here.

The magazine will also not be shrink-wrapped and there will not be a Parental Advisory tag on the cover.

But erotica was never the magazine's direction.

Nudity is overrated, Mr Yeo added, because 'with the advent of Internet, you can just go online and there's porn everywhere'.

So his message to all chee ko peks who plan to buy VIP: 'Don't bother looking for instant gratification.'

That sets VIP apart from existing publications such as FHM and Playeur.

Unlike other licensed titles, VIP will not carry content from the US version. All content will be original, contributed by a pool of freelance writers from around the world.

Apart from Mr Tan and Mr Yeo who form the editorial team, there are eight other staff members in the Singapore-based set-up.

Both men share nearly 20 years of journalism in men's magazines between them.

Mr Tan was the editor of FHM from 2000 to 2004, editor of Maxim for the next three years, followed by a brief two-month stint at Playeur in 2008.

As for Mr Yeo, he started out as a technology editor for 8 Days, moved on to write for Maxim, then headed the editorial team at New Man before the magazine's closure.

Being tasteful

After coming onboard the Playboy team, both attended a week of training at Playboy Enterprises corporate headquarters in New York to learn about the brand's rich history and heritage.

Unfortunately, they never got to meet Mr Hefner.

Mr Tan promises that VIP's writing will be 'witty, smart and engaging' and most of the interviews would be 'exclusive'.

'For example, our debut issue will feature a one-on-one interview with actor Mickey Rourke (of The Wrestler fame) by one of our Slovakian writers.'

So what makes this magazine related in any way to the Playboy most of us are familiar with?

The Playboy tradition of having a centrefold girl will definitely be a constant in VIP, reassured Mr Tan.

While there will still be no front nudity, the female models can appear almost or entirely nude, as long as their vital parts covered.

'It all comes down to being tasteful,' he explained.

'We all know there's a thin line between art and pornography. For us, we're appealing to men in the 28 to 45 age group, who are more discerning in taste.'

The models are selected through local modelling agencies, so expect a mix of Pan-Asian and Asian girls from around the region to grace the pages.

'Down the road, if we're able to get some celebrities to pose for centrefold, that would be great too,' said Mr Yeo.

Perhaps, the bigger question for VIP at this moment is: will readers buy their 'thinking man's' concept?

Male readers The New Paper spoke to seemed divided.

Said undergraduate Chen Baoquan, 24: 'No point associating yourself with Playboy if there's no nudity, it kind of defeats the whole purpose.

'The Playboy hype will help to create some interest for the first couple of months, then the fad will die off. It might end up a flop.'

Financial planner John Koh, 27, said he hoped VIP's pictures 'will be more provocative'.

'Otherwise, honestly, it'll just be another lad mag.'

Filipino Christopher Daguimol, 25, who has been working in the corporate communications industry here for about three years, recalled when he saw the Filipino edition launched in April last year.

'I got hold of the debut issue and my reaction after flipping through it was, whoa, it's definitely much tamer than I thought,' he said with a laugh.

However, he feels 'the quality of writing is vital too', and 'VIP should be able to differentiate itself from FHM and the likes, should it boast interesting, insightful write-ups'.

At least one guy was supportive of the magazine having no frontal nudity.

Said 27-year old civil servant Chris Chew: 'Sometimes, not showing all is actually more sexy than showing everything.'

VIP will be holding a launch party in the middle of April, where a few Playboy models (also known as Playmates) will be flown in from Europe to make special appearances.

Now, THAT should get people excited.

This article was first published in The New Paper.