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Joe Francis
Born	Joseph R. Francis (1973-04-01) April 1, 1973 (age 51) Atlanta, GA
Occupation	Founder of Girls Gone Wild

Joseph R. "Joe" Francis (born April 1, 1973) is an American entrepreneur, known as the founder of GGW Brands, which produces the Girls Gone Wild and Guys Gone Wild DVD series.

Francis grew up in Laguna Beach, California. Following high school Francis attended and graduated with a degree in business administration from the University of Southern California.

Upon graduation Francis worked with his father's business, then for various media production companies, where he founded Banned From Television videos, using clips not suitable for mainstream broadcast from the studios he worked at to market on a direct to consumer basis. Banned from Television made Francis a millionaire by 24. It was from Banned From Television, that Francis developed the concept of college girls exposing their breasts and marketing these videos direct to consumers as well. Initially marketed as College Girls Gone Wild, Girls Gone Wild was born from this concept.

Beginning of a brand

Francis' first video, sold through commercials, was a series of private clips and news footage deletions of fatal accidents that were considered too graphic for broadcast. Banned From Television was considered a commercial success and it spawned other sequels. One of the videos that Francis had licensed contained footage of female college students flashing their breasts during Mardi Gras and Spring Break. Seeing the marketing appeal, he titled that footage Girls Gone Wild (GGW). He eventually stopped licensing the material and began producing it himself.

In 1997, at the age of 24, Francis founded Mantra Films, now known as GGW Brands Sellers of ‘Girls Gone Wild’ Videos. Building on Francis' discovery that he could film college-age women "going wild," including baring their breasts for the cameras at spring breaks and other locales. Mantra also spun off the Guys Gone Wild DVD series.

Francis' Girls Gone Wild is regularly referenced in today’s society and pop culture atmosphere and was recently cited as an example of "sexualization," number 23 on USA Today's list of the "25 Trends that Changed America".

References

1. "meetjoefrancis.com".
2. "'Joe Francis Biography'". 2007-09-29.
3. http://www.meetjoefrancis.com/joe-francis-biography/
4. USA Today, 25 Trends That Changed America, 2007-03-27

External links

• Joe Francis at IMDb

Template:Persondata

• 1973 births
• Living people
• People from Bel Air, Los Angeles
• American entertainment industry businesspeople