New York, NY (November 9, 2015) – Time’s Inc.’s People celebrates the 30th anniversary of its iconic franchise, #SexiestManAlive, with an innovative multi-platform initiative that includes a Lifetime Television Network primetime special, a “Hall of Sexy” wax exhibition at Madame Tussauds New York, an exclusive partnership with dating app Tinder featuring the sexiest man from each of the 50 states, and a customized #SexiestBitmojiAlive, where fans can create a custom personal emoji avatar on a virtual cover of People’s “Sexiest Man Alive” issue. The 2015 “Sexiest Man Alive” will be revealed for the third consecutive year on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Tuesday, November 17 at 11:35pm ET/PT, and People’s “Sexiest Man Alive” special double issue hits newsstands nationwide Friday, November 20.

 

“It is hard to believe that it’s been 30 years since Mel Gibson was first bestowed the coveted title of Sexiest Man Alive,” said Jess Cagle, Editorial Director of People and Entertainment Weekly. “2015 marks a pop culture milestone, so it is only fitting that we should take a look back at the evolution of this incredible franchise and celebrate on all platforms.”

 

“People’s Sexiest Man Alive 2015: 30 Years of Sexy” airs on Lifetime Television Network on Wednesday, November 18 at 9pm ET/PT. In this one-hour special hosted by Scandal’s Bellamy Young, viewers are offered a unique behind-the-scenes glimpse that reveals how the hottest Hollywood hunks are chosen for this annual double issue. From hot dads, the men of primetime, and the boys of summer to the lucky guy chosen to grace the cover – this TV special features commentary by comedians, the editors of People, and special guest appearances by Lance Bass, Michelle Collins, and Paulina Porizkova, who take a look back at the 30-year history of People’s most popular franchise. Plus, People’s Editorial Director Jess Cagle travels back in time to pick the #SexiestManAlive for 1994 — the only year where no one sexy was chosen. Madame Tussauds New York is featuring a “Hall of Sexy” in the heart of Times Square the week of November 16 where visitors can view wax figures of actors who were bestowed the “Sexiest Man Alive” title twice: George Clooney (1997, 2006); Johnny Depp (2003, 2009); and Brad Pitt (1995, 2000); plus Harrison Ford (1998); and Denzel Washington (1996).

 

People teamed up with Tinder to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the iconic “Sexiest Man Alive” franchise. The Tinder team chose from some of the most right-swiped hunky guys in each state to showcase 50 of the “Sexiest Men of Tinder” across America. Beginning Wed., Nov. 18, a special People badge will be posted on the Tinder profiles of each of these sexy men to highlight their status. Users can swipe right on this coveted group of guys by clicking on their profiles on People.com’s online gallery.

 

People has also partnered with personal emoji app Bitmoji to create the #SexiestBitmojiAlive – where everyone can now make a claim to being the “Sexiest.” Available in the App Store and Google Play, Bitmoji gives users the chance to put their custom avatar on a virtual cover of People. Anyone can share their sexy self on Twitter using the hashtag #SexiestBitmojiAlive, and People.com will post its favorites on a special gallery for the world to swoon over.

 

People is celebrating the 30th anniversary of “Sexiest Man Alive” with a dynamic digital experience on People.com, the No. 1 celebrity news web site. It features a poll asking fans to vote for their favorite Sexiest Man Alive cover of all time (the results will be revealed during the Lifetime special on November18) and to take an online survey on “what’s sexy”: http://www.people.com/article/sexiest-man-alive-survey

 

People’s social media campaign features a 30-day countdown to the 2015 #SexiestManAlive highlighting past covers on Instagram (@peoplemag) and Twitter (@people @SexiestManAlive), as well as additional content on People’s channel on Snapchat Discover leading up to the big reveal on the evening of November 17.

 

Complete list of 30 Years of People’s “Sexiest Man Alive”:

 

1985: Mel Gibson

 

 

1986: Mark Harmon

 

 

1987: Harry Hamlin

 

 

1988: John F. Kennedy Jr.

 

 

1989: Sean Connery

 

 

1990: Tom Cruise

 

 

1991: Patrick Swayze

 

 

1992: Nick Nolte

 

 

1993: Richard Gere and Cindy Crawford (“The Sexiest Couple Alive”)

 

 

1994: None

 

 

1995: Brad Pitt

 

 

1996: Denzel Washington

 

 

1997: George Clooney

 

 

1998: Harrison Ford

 

 

1999: Richard Gere

 

 

2000: Brad Pitt

 

 

2001: Pierce Brosnan

 

 

2002: Ben Affleck

 

 

2003: Johnny Depp

 

 

2004: Jude Law

 

 

2005: Matthew McConaughey

 

 

2006: George Clooney

 

 

2007: Matt Damon

 

 

2008: Hugh Jackman

 

 

2009: Johnny Depp

 

 

2010: Ryan Reynolds

 

 

2011: Bradley Cooper

 

 

2012: Channing Tatum

 

 

2013: Adam Levine

 

 

2014: Chris Hemsworth

 

 

 

People’s Sexiest Man Alive 2015: 30 Years of Sexy is produced by TV Dinner and People Studios, in association with Rampante.

 

 

 About People 

Time Inc.’s People revolutionized personality journalism when it launched as a weekly in 1974 to celebrate extraordinary people doing ordinary things and ordinary people doing extraordinary things. Ubiquitous and still at the center of pop culture more than 40 years later, the People brand is accessible on all surfaces (print, digital, video, mobile, social) bringing more than 75 million consumers a unique mix of breaking news, exclusive photos, video, and in-depth reporting on the most compelling newsmakers of our time. In addition, comScore ranks the People and Entertainment Weekly Network No. 1 in the entertainment news category.

 

Each year major media across the globe anticipate the cover reveal of People’s most famous franchise, the #SexiestManAlive (which is celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2015) sparking a lively debate on social media. With a trusted reputation and unparalleled access to the red carpet, celebrities, and entertainment, an essential component of People’s editorial vision remains human interest stories, which touch and often mirror the lives of our passionate audience. People is an award-winning 24/7 news organization headquartered in New York City with reporters across the globe. For more information visit People.com and Timeinc.com, and follow @people on Twitter and @peoplemag on Facebook and Instagram.

 

 About Time Inc. 

Time Inc. (NYSE:TIME) is one of the world’s leading media companies, with a monthly global print audience of over 120 million and worldwide digital properties that attract more than 140 million visitors each month, including over 60 websites. Our influential brands include People, Sports Illustrated, InStyle, Time, Real Simple, Southern Living, Entertainment Weekly, Travel + Leisure, Cooking Light, Fortune and Food & Wine, as well as more than 50 diverse titles in the United Kingdom such as Decanter, Horse & Hound and Wallpaper*. Time Inc. is home to celebrated franchises and events including the Fortune 500, Time 100, People’s Sexiest Man Alive, Sports Illustrated’s Sportsman of the Year, the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, the Essence Festival and the biennial Fortune Global Forum. Hundreds of thousands of people attend our events every year. We have been extending the power of our brands through various investments and acquisitions, including the formation of Sports Illustrated Play, a new company devoted to youth and amateur sports, and the acquisition of inVNT, a company that specializes in live media. We also provide content marketing, targeted local print and digital advertising programs, branded book publishing and marketing and support services, including subscription sales services for magazines and other products, retail distribution and marketing services and customer service and fulfillment services, for ourselves and third-party clients, including other magazine publishers.

 

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