>> a cnbc original, "business model: inside the sports illustrated swimsuit issue". here's darren rovell. welcome to the atacama desert in northern chile. this exotic landscape has been used as a hollywood backdrop and as a nasa testing ground. now it is one of the breathtaking settings for the 2010 "sports illustrated swimsuit" issue. a franchise that throughout its history has made more than a billion dollars for its parent company. time inc. this isn't just a photo shoot. there's a story unfolding, involving big money and high stakes. everyone hoping -- >> beautiful. >> -- that the perfect shot will catapult them or their product into fame and fortune. >> great. here we go. you will be walking straight. >> it's only 8:30 a.m. but the work day actually began

before sunrise. three vans trek by road, then sand to the middle of nowhere. as the sun begins to brighten the skies and warm the chilly air, the crew pulls into death valley. ♪ a place most people have never seen until now. >> what's the shot going to be? >> we are going to shoot julie on the horse. then we are going to see the background of death valley. >> reporter: the crew gets to work. >> that good? "sports illustrated swimsuit" editors, the photographer, and his three assistants. >> that's perfect. >> reporter: plus one behind-the-scenes shooter for si.com. there is a video team, a hairstylist, makeup artist, and let's not forget the model.

today that's 5'10" texan julie henderson. >> jump on the horse, hon. here we go. that was nice. eyes up. >> what was it like being on the horse? >> my biggest concern was staying on the horse. keeping my balance while leaning back while still showing the swimsuit and staying natural. >> maybe we can see the suit a little more, the body. i know it's hard to turn. just sit up, hon. or turn the horse? >> keep it real natural, as relaxed as you possibly can in this situation. >> smile, then turn your arm and then do this and do this. >> it was a little difficult to look natural because it's not natural to be on a horse in the middle of nowhere. >> but after that everything else is easy. >> yeah, exactly. everything else is easy after that. >> look here. >> it seems rather simple. point and shoot. but an entire year of planning,

packing, and preparation goes into each of the six locations editor diane smith will visit for this issue. >> the job doesn't start or doesn't end. it is continuous. february comes out. march we are planning. april we're booking hotels. may, work out the photographers. june, get the models. july, get the swimsuits and the props and everything. then start traveling. >> long legs. beautiful. >> never enough time. and just want to make it better and better every year. >> big smile. here we go. >> this is more than beautiful women in sexy swimsuits. this is big business. >> oh, look at the light. >> "sports illustrated" has built a phenomenon that over the years has generated more than a billion dollars in revenue for time inc. in an increasingly troubled industry in which more than 350 magazines stopped publishing in 2009, and advertising revenue fell 18%, to have one single

issue make more than $7 million at the newsstand alone is news itself. it is a success that mark ford, president and group publisher of time inc. news group counts on. >> it is the single best-selling issue that we have. you have 64 million people that see swimsuit so it is huge. >> where do you see the future of magazine brand? >> things are actually really well. consumer satisfaction at "sports illustrated" is an all-time high. our newsstand is very strong. on the advertising side, every media company took a pretty tough hit this year. but we think that we outperformed many of our competitors. >> the swimsuit edition began in 1964 as a five-page supplement to heat up the winter months. it is now a stand-alone issue. a licensing property and a

multimedia empire. spanning the internet, mobile technology. >> this is an si.com exclusive. >> video and even event marketing. >> straight ahead for me. >> today the franchise makes up 7% of "sports illustrated" group's total advertising revenue. >> since i have been here, we have just -- i don't even know -- quadrupled in size. >> senior associate editor m.j. day joins "swimsuit" in 1998. she walks the delicate line between what s.i. deems is appropriate and what is not for the franchise. >> swimsuit is sexy. never vulgar. >> vulgar is? >> too much. too much. we like to leave it to the imagination. we like to give you just enough to get you interested and then the rest you figure out on your own. >> great job, yes. again. m.j., look, hon. >> though racy and revealing,

swimsuit thrives because it is widely considered to be socially acceptable. but whether it is tasteful or tawdry is a matter of opinion. critics have called it a catalog of sexism. a former "time" magazine writer wrote a blog calling the issue porn. "sports illustrated" editor terry mcdonell says he's careful not to offend his core audience. >> there is a kind of a trust with all the readers of "sports illustrated" and you don't want to put anything in there that makes anybody uncomfortable. >> the company gives subscribers who don't want the issue a chance to opt out of getting it in exchange for extending their subscription. less than 1% take the offer. >> some editors of "sports illustrated" did not like "swimsuit." >> are you telling me that there is a chance that it almost didn't survive? >> well, there was some

leadership at the magazine at different times over the years that thought it was an inappropriate thing for "sports illustrated" to be doing. but it certainly worked for the business. >> the readers, when they pick up the "sports illustrated" swimsuit issue, they want to see an exotic locale, beautiful women in an exotic place. we're the fantasy factory. we make it all happen. they want to see something they have never seen before. >> exotic locations like the atacama desert have become the hallmark of "swimsuit" and what readers have come to expect. but finding undiscovered treasures isn't as easy as you might think. you almost go to places where no one really ever shot something like this. that's the challenge. >> that's the challenge. that's why you come to places like this. because, you know, you want to do something that no one has done, no one has been to, no one has seen but it is not easy. >> countries are hoping "swimsuit" will look their way, because they believe one photo brings readers one step closer

to becoming visitors. s.i. first visited chile in 2004 and since then tourism has risen 34%. >> the mountains are more dramatic. let's see. >> and as you can imagine, the trips have become the envy of outsiders. >> there is not a place in the world that i go where the first question when they find out what my job is, what about those swimsuit shoots? grown mature men, well dressed, sitting down at a table to discuss international licensing deals ask me if they can go on the next swimsuit shoot. it is hilarious. >> this place is spectacular. >> surprisingly enough, the "sports illustrated" staff does not visit the locations before arriving for the week-long shoots. >> everywhere you look it is a picture. >> that job is up to photographer rafael and his assistant bjorn. >> it is a warm, gorgeous day out.

>> you see things in areas that other people don't see. >> got it. >> well, i just love the idea of being very spontaneous and working with light and, you know, watching it change. i think it really adds something, you know. gorgeous, julie. >> the great irony, of course, is you go someplace far, far away with beautiful red cliffs and aquamarine sea and you get a very tight shot of a beautiful woman. you don't see a lot of that. but i think there is a subtext to all of this that just making the effort to find the most interesting places in the world counts for something just to begin with. >> when we return -- cheryl tiegs plus fishnet equals a global sensation. >> to this day, i don't understand the particular appeal of that shot. >> that's next. when "business model: inside the sports illustrated swimsuit issue" continues.

>> we now return to "business model: inside the sports illustrated 'swimsuit' issue." we now return to "business model: inside the sports illustrated swimsuit issue." >> in the picturesque desert, sometimes the location that catches photographer rafael's eye -- >> i think if we just tweak it a little, it will be beautiful. >> -- is right outside his hotel room. this is the first shoot with model julie henderson. >> okay. >> lots of lipstick. >> hon, you'll just be standing right here. >> right here? >> yeah, out here. >> what can you do to make a picture better? >> yeah. throw the hair right over. >> you have to try to reinvent yourself for every photo. >> beautiful. yes, yes, yes. great.

stay tall. >> i don't know if it's really about how many photos you can get in the issue. i think just even that one photo that speaks to you, it will stick out more than any other photo in the issue. >> really? if there is one incredible photo of you, that might be better than four okay photos. >> exactly. well, it is like the one photo of cheryl tiegs in the white fishnet. i don't remember any other photo of her in that issue. or any photo really at all. it is just that one. >> that was 31 years ago. >> exactly. it takes just one photo to make a difference. >> to this day, i don't understand the particular appeal of that shot. >> cheryl tiegs may not understand why that moment cemented "swimsuit's" place in history, but it was the moment in time that julie campbell has been working towards since she became the issue's first editor. >> i often compare it to making a cake. sky, water, sand, girl, swimsuit. that never changes. it is a challenge to make it look different.

>> before campbell, the challenge was just to make the weekly magazine noticeable in the winter months. in the time between football and baseball. so instead of game coverage or athlete profiles, covers included dogs, even how to navigate traffic. managing editor andre laguerre needed a money maker and asked his editors to send him memos with good ideas. >> fred smith was my editor. and was the original person who wrote to andre and said why don't we put a beautiful girl on the cover in a resort that relates to sport. >> campbell was given the assignment. shoot a model for the cover, plus five pages inside the issue. >> oh, my goodness. i haven't seen this picture in years. our first cover was sue peterson. when our readers saw this beautiful girl just walking down the beach, that was the start. >> campbell now had to find more

locations, and more models. she came across 5'10" cheryl tiegs and made her a cover girl. that was in 1970. >> i did my own hair and makeup. i would bring a mirror to make sure i was okay. that was it. that was as simple as it was. >> but the simplicity was about to end. the buzz surrounding the magazine and tiegs got bigger by 1978. in brazil, with the famous fishnet shot. >> i always from the very first issue liked fishnet. there was something about it because it related to sports. >> the photographer said get the fishnet wet. >> it was the last frame we showed in the presentation was "sports illustrated." we put it in just to liven up the meeting, which was all men. >> you might have thrown that one out before the presentation? >> i would have. i wouldn't have presented it. that picture, probably the most mediocre picture i took, turned

her life around and skyrocketed the "swimsuit" issue. >> reporter: from that moment on the response was tremendous. copies flew off the newsstands. 50,000 more copies than other years. as sales soared so did letters into the time inc. building. what were people saying? >> oh, i was going straight to hell. but all the editors loved it because they knew people were reading it. and then i felt that it was stirring the pot, and that's good. >> the increased attention prompted "sports illustrated" to expand further into winter fashion with a clothing feature. but swimwear, not ski wear, remained the hot seller. carol alt modeled both for the magazine. >> it was just bathing suits and beaches and beautiful girls, sporty girls. >> dubbed by "time" magazine as the face, more people knew alt's name after she graced the cover

in 1982. you aren't just a face. you were a face and a name. >> i was a name. i was a face and name. i will never forget the first time somebody recognized me. i was in a gym in vermont. and this gentleman came up to me and he said are you carol alt? i looked at him. i thought i knew him. >> do i know you from high school? >> right, do i know you from high school. my brain is going 90 miles an hour. do i know you? he goes, why would you know me? i'm like -- well, how do you know me? he goes, well, aren't you on the cover of "sports illustrated"? >> campbell continued to turn unknown models into household names, and they caught the public's eye. christie brinkley, paulina porizkova, elle macpherson. newsstands sales doubled in just two years. and the number of swimsuit pages inside grew from 8 to 30 by the time kathy ireland made her first cover. >> i was really surprised at how many people read "sports illustrated." i had no idea.

>> ireland's 1989 cover sold a record 2.7 million copies. "sports illustrated" put more money into expanding the issue even further. >> the trips became larger and more involved. sometimes we would go to multiple locations. >> by the end we had two, three tv crews, hairdressers, makeup, and stuff. the spontaneity for me was over. >> campbell called it quits in 1996. that next year, "swimsuit" became a standalone issue. growth she fought against during her 32 years. >> pictures were so great, each time they would give me two pages more, three pages more. ten pages more. when it got to 36, i said i don't want anymore pages. when they turned that last page, i want someone to say is that all? they are going to buy it next year. >> so the full issue is not for you? >> i can't say that.

business is business. today business is tough. advertising is tough. so whatever works, go for it. next, it's time inc.'s most profitable single magazine issue. a financial force on the web. on the scene and on the go. moving off the printed page to a bigger bottom line. when "business model: inside the sports illustrated swimsuit issue" returns.

>> "business model: inside the sports illustrated 'swimsuit' issue" returns.

>> she's ready. >> it'd be nice, i think, if we start with the hair wet. >> brazilian daniella sarahyba she is ready. >> nice if we start with the hair wet. >> brazilian daniella sarahyba has only one day to shoot photos for the 2010 "sports illustrated" swimsuit issue. >> this is absolutely amazing. >> there's no time to waste. >> walk fast. look away. yes. >> you think it is easy to shoot like this? cold, freezing. pretend everything is okay. and do a sexy face, it is not easy. >> in 2008, daniella and "s.i." collaborated with fast food chain taco bell on an advertising campaign called directdaniella.com. this marketing plan was part of calculated move to offer advertisers more than just a printed page.

>> hey, messy green m&m, you're back in the issue. congratulations! can't wait to see you in vegas. >> for 2010, it is meant a 15% increase in advertising revenue across the entire franchise. since 1985, swimsuit has grown from 100% print-centric where it made money from newsstands sales and licensing images, to 60% print, 30% web, video and mobile technology, and 10% event revenue and experiential marketing, which brings the brand to life. mark ford, time inc. president, says it was an important step for the future of the franchise. >> we really look out into the horizon and said how do we want to build this out and create new revenue streams? >> in less than five years, that's exactly what has happened.

the 2008 premiere of siswimsuit.com got 22 million hits on its first day. millions bought videos at itunes, and watched brooklyn decker for free on youtube. >> hey, i'm brooklyn decker. here is a special 2008 swimsuit video just for youtube. >> if you like your models on the go, an iphone app is available for $2.99. fans made it one of the most popular applications of the summer of 2009. >> they can't get enough. they would like to see a hologram of these models if we could deliver it. maybe some day we will be able to do that. >> the potential piqued the interest of miller-coors. the beer giant last advertised with swimsuit in 2005. jackie woodward is vice president of media and marketing services. >> media for us is not just buying placements any longer. media for us is about creating engaging consumer environments. >> not only is miller lite the official beer for "swimsuit

2010," the company has a print spread and an online experience where fans can vote for their favorite images of all-time. >> it really encompasses an entire consumer experience. we know that's how we win. >> winning in today's marketplace means attracting new customers and keeping old ones. it is a tough job when there's more media available than ever before. most of it not in traditional print form. >> our goal for the project is to collect things about a certain event, and we're going to do this through an iphone application. >> jeremy gilbert. an assistant professor of media story telling at northwestern university. >> there are certainly lots of people who have grown up with "sports illustrated" who might continue to get the magazine because it's familiar and it's comfortable. but being familiar and comfortable isn't the same as attracting advertisers. >> a lot of people say you almost had to do it. the market is dictating you moving from just the page to offering much more.

>> we knew that the s.i. brand, the "sports illustrated" brand meant something to consumers. so who doesn't want to touch the brand? who doesn't want to get close to what we're doing? >> like that. yes. yes, yes, yes. >> and let's face it. who doesn't want to get closer to a swimsuit model? consumers do. and pepsico knows it. the fortune 500 company capitalized on it with a multiplatform sobe water campaign. actress ashley green isn't really wearing a lizard skin suit. it was painted on her body. it is a take on "sports illustrated's" highly anticipated feature body painting. instead of a model wearing an actual bikini, one is being painstakingly painted on her. abigail clancy's outfit took 15 hours to create. body painting is so popular with readers that sobe used it for its campaign.

jill beraud is pepsico's chief marketing officer. >> it is critical that we move beyond tv, magazines. you have to think about it as an integrated experience. 360 degrees at every consumer touch point. >> the beverage brand also offered one lucky customer a chance to party with the models at the invite-only launch event at the mirage in las vegas. vegas is the exclusive host for "swimsuit," in the midst of a three-year contract. a high-profile draw that the president of the convention and visitors authority hopes will help fill the city's 150,000 hotel rooms. >> we have to work hard because we are in competition with everyone. we have to stay one step ahead of the curve. >> and profits that are made in vegas, stay in vegas. >> we had a return on the investment of 19-1 in the amount of dollars we invested in last year. the fact that people start look for the event in las vegas itself is going to drive more visitation to us.

>> despite the expanding digital universe, businesses still pay to be part of the print issue, which sells on average more than a million copies at newsstands. because swimsuit doesn't contain time sensitive articles it can stay on the rack longer from february to may. the ultimate advantage when selling in today's media market. and the price, $2 more than the regular issue. why? because it is printed on thicker, more expensive paper stock. a concerted effort, according to "sports illustrated" group editor terry mcdonell. >> advertisers target this issue with specific creative that they spend a lot of time and money getting exactly the way they want it. and boy, they want that red to pop. i promise you that. enlightened self interest we spend a little more money there.

>> what determines the total number of pages? >> we start with the minimum size and then we lift that according to the number of ad pages we have. if it doesn't weigh enough i want more pages. >> it's got to feel like it's worth $6.99? >> yeah, it does. coming up, a woman who makes jewelry in her basement makes a splash. >> my jewelry is in "sports illustrated." you can't get any better than that. >> it's a kind of advertising that money can't buy. that's next on "business model: inside the sports illustrated swimsuit issue."

>> "business model: inside the sports illustrated 'swimsuit' issue" continues. "business model: inside the sports illustrated swimsuit issue" continues.

>> it's three days before her trip to chile, and senior associate editor m.j. day is in the midst of packing. bikinis may be small in size, but in a closet full of nearly 25,000 suits, choosing which ones to take, pairing them with the right accessories -- >> 696 is going over here. some sort of order. >> stuffing it all into bags. not to mention zipping them is a two-person job, and it takes stamina. >> a record. oh, another one, yay! >> now she has to get the bags, 6100 miles from new york to the atacama desert. >> got to check in. and i'm usually greeted by the ticket attendant with like wide eyes and a look of like are you kidding? usually they ask me if i'm moving to the place.

>> nearly 24 hours later, the crew and the bags arrive safely. but though the 730 suits and hundreds of pieces of jewelry made it to the location, there is no guarantee that they will grace the pages of the issue. so how many pieces of jewelry do we bring just for today here? >> just for today, i didn't count. i would say probably like 250. >> and you're going to make the decision? >> on the fly. >> on the fly. but for the designers, not making the magazine means missing out on the more than 22 million female readers who use the issue as a shopping guide, and have since day one when then editor julie campbell not only gave the fans the name of the designer, but also told them where to buy what they admired. >> i learned that from "glamour" magazine, i must say, because it was a where-to-buy. i felt that it wasn't serving our audience if they didn't know where to buy the suit. and i felt that this helped the industry to grow.

>> that track record is what still inspires designers worldwide to send in their wares to "sports illustrated." they are not paid for their work. instead it is all about getting their name on the page. because according to swimsuit designer lisa curran, that's a credit money can't buy. >> we are making up suits specifically for the issue that are not in my collection. >> is it very small in terms of what the cost is? because you are only making a couple? >> no, it is expensive because you are buying sample yards and more expensive than production yardage. it is not cheap. it is "sports illustrated's" swimsuit issue so of course, if you have to pay for an ad in there it would be much more expensive. it is worth it. >> curran, a former fashion buyer, launched her line in 1997 after she had trouble finding a bikini for her honeymoon. the next year, the still unknown set her sights on "sports illustrated." >> as a swimwear designer you want to get in that issue. >> it's validation. >> it is like it is okay you are in there and you made it.

i was sort of determined to get in there right away. i called up one day and said can i come and show you my bikinis? >> started off with a phone call from the very eager designer. new on the scene. i have to show you my suits. >> before you say what is going on here -- >> she's disrobing and trying on swimsuits for me. >> in your office. >> yeah, in my office. >> she probably thought i was kooky but they gave me a shot. i got lucky. that february we got a suit in. >> what was your reaction in february of 1999? >> i was in shock. here i am, i just started a business. and less than a year later, i'm in "sports illustrated," one of my bikinis are in the magazine. >> if you are, you know, lean and fuller, it will work perfectly. >> with suits priced under $200, curran's sales soared from $150,000 pre-"sports illustrated" to nearly $5 million today.

and she still makes suits for s.i. this year a dozen of her designs made the trek to india while others made to it chile. >> like that. >> while bikinis seem like a no-brainer for a swimsuit issue, other strings are also garnering great attention. silk-wrapped bracelets. body beads by margaret maggard. >> my husband said there is jewelry in "sports illustrated"? these pieces, what i think the reason why they do well is because you can wear it when you are 55 years old and you don't have to get into a bikini. you may not look like one of these girls in the magazine but you can have a little piece of that. >> a yoga instructor, maggard was crafting jewelry for friends in the basement of her milwaukee home. when she started to look towards selling outside of her circle, she ran across the 2006 swimsuit issue, and it proved inspirational. >> i thought i want to be with those guys.

>> as a little manufacturer, do you think that would help you or hurt you going in? >> i thought it would hurt me. i thought they would want the big names. they want the -- i thought, it is so perfect. >> so maggard made 12 bracelets and sent them to m.j. day. the simple styling was a hit. >> something that really grabbed our attention and worked really well with where we are now with how we style. like what the girls would be wearing if they were to just throw on their own jewelry. >> so you had no idea that they were even shooting with it? >> no, no. >> months after sending her designs, maggard got the call. her body beads made the 2007 issue. >> i sat there looking at it. that's my jewelry. that's my jewelry. >> laughing or crying? >> i wasn't crying. i was stunned. i was kind of stunned. my older son was in seventh grade at the time. he went to school and he told all of his friends. my mom is in "sports

illustrated" swimsuit. they said, "no, your mom is old." >> maggard has been soaring ever since. her designs have been inside the issue for three consecutive years and hit the cover in 2009. >> what's the typical increase in business after the "sports illustrated" swimsuit issue? >> just recently i did numbers, and we see 66% increase in sales. and it continues on fairly steadily for the life of the issue and then beyond. >> swimsuit designer lisa curran's advice to maggard, never stop sending to s.i. >> i've been in business 11 years. and i didn't get in one year and i remember people coming up to me saying are you still in business? the only reason we didn't get in is i think we just were -- we were actually so busy growing our business that we didn't send enough suits in. >> so you will never make that mistake again? >> oh, no, never again. never again. >> beautiful. >> when we return -- >> i know you want one of these. >> i love that picture.

>> two weeks to go before the "swimsuit" issue hits the stands. which shots are in and which are out? which will make the cover? the photo finish. when "business model: inside the sports illustrated swimsuit issue" continues.

>> and now "business model: inside the sports illustrated 'swimsuit' issue." >> we've got how many pages for and now "business model: inside the sports illustrated swimsuit issue." >> we have how many pages for this? >> 16, 18. look at the body in this one the

suit. >> let's keep going. >> it is late november. >> that's sexy. >> and after nearly a year of planning -- >> i love this. >> -- packing, primping, and shooting, it all comes down to photo selection. >> people will love this picture. >> okay. one more down. >> the "sports illustrated" team sorts through 155,000 shots to choose the lucky ones that will make the "swimsuit" issue. >> what about this or this? >> love. >> any one of those. >> okay. >> the most anticipated, most talked about photo of the year, and the most discussed, deliberated and debated decision the staff will make is the cover. >> i think she looks real sleepy. >> i love that. >> editor diane smith and her team personally look through every photo. >> at what point do you know something is a cover shot? >> every girl i work with, there is that magic moment. >> raf, or julie, somebody,

you've got to see this. it's so beautiful. the light on the side of her body perfectly. >> gorgeous. open the eyes, hon. >> julie henderson spent three days in chile working for the perfect shot that could take her career to the next level. >> what percentage of the jobs would you say you are doing now come out of the fact that you are a "sports illustrated" girl? >> well, i know definitely all my swimsuit catalogs. but everything else, i'm sure it does because clients love to have a model that is known. >> the main reason s.i. swimsuit models are known is because s.i. prints their name alongside their photos and that may be a common practice today but in 1965 it was revolutionary. original editor julie campbell used it to her advantage. >> it was the managing editor's edict i think to identify the players on the cover. why don't you identify the model that's on the cover?

i offered less money because the girls that i used were not names yet. >> what would a model get paid as a day rate? >> this is a secret. no one ever knew except the agency and model. it was $250 a day. >> and how many times did you call up someone and they said that's ridiculous? the model will not be in "sports illustrated"? >> never. >> why did no one deny you? >> because they wanted to be in s.i. >> there are certain things you do that you are paid very little for but those are the jobs you really want. and those are the jobs that ultimately make you the most money from other companies. >> at the height of her modeling career, cheryl tiegs had a signature clothing line at sears that did a billion dollars in sales. today she's the spokesperson for cambria inc., a company that makes natural quartz countertops. carol alt has a line of skin

care products. based on her own popular raw food diet. >> how did you go from carol alt model to entrepreneur? >> necessity. making it to the top is the luck of the draw. staying there is all you, baby. it's all how you deal in business. >> and no other swimsuit veteran has done better in business than kathy ireland who appeared in the magazine for 13 straight years, longer than any model to date. >> modeling was not part of my plan but i looked at the opportunity and said maybe i can earn some money for college or to start a business. >> turns out it wasn't swimwear that would make her millions, but footwear. why socks? >> if women would embrace my socks, we might be on to something. >> if it's $1.4 in annual sales, then ireland was right.

kathy ireland worldwide markets more than 15,000 products in 28 countries. ireland is ceo and chief designer. what percentage of your customer knows or cares that kathy ireland was this famous s.i. model? >> our customer doesn't care that i modelled in "sports illustrated." it's more about what i was able to learn and gain from that experience than just seeing a picture of me. >> she looks beautiful there. >> i like this one where she is closed mouth than this one. >> in its storied history, the cover has catapulted women into stardom. so a lot rides on the decision for 2010. >> let me see what you did for this. >> terry mcdonell makes the final call. >> people call me up when this issue comes out. everybody's got an opinion. if it's too risque, i might hear from this wholesaler.

a little too racy, i might hear from the library association. a lot of things can happen there. >> so can you fail? >> completely. >> we're just trying to figure out something different than past years. >> is this the most pressure during the year that you feel for a cover? >> no, no. this is probably the most fun. >> fun for mcdonell, but nerve wracking for the models, who won't find out if they got it until the night before it hits the newsstand. >> "sports illustrated" was always my goal from the beginning of modeling. >> let's face it. there are a million beautiful girls, there are a million girls with amazing personalities. when s.i. picks you, it says this girl is here, and she's here to stay. >> brooklyn decker has a one in 18 chance of making the cover. she was just out of high school when she first appeared in s.i. in 2006. how often do you think about the cover? >> fairly often, honestly. i think as soon as you have the

privilege to be in "sports illustrated," your goal is to get higher. >> i would try not to think about it. i would try to force myself not to think about getting the cover and what it could possibly do for me. >> it's my number one goal in this business is to hopefully get a cover one day. >> and she got it. less than 24 hours before the issue hits the newsstands, brooklyn decker finds out she's on the cover. >> wow! oh, my goodness. i got the cover! model julie henderson may not have made the cover of the issue but she does grace the cover of the 2010 calendar, and has a full spread inside the magazine. also inside, swimsuits from designer lisa curran and margaret maggard's body beads make it four years in a row.

but the day belongs to the cover girl. >> you said this was a goal and now it's here, huh? >> i know. i have to set new goals. i don't even know what i'm going to do. this was it for me. this was my career goal. i'm just going to enjoy the whirlwind that's the cover of "sports illustrated" right now. i'm very excited. >> for 46 years the "sports illustrated" swimsuit issue has been a gold mine for its brand and its parent company, time inc. but as magazines give way to the internet due to the speed of information, can this single issue still grounded in the printed page make enough money on the newsstands to justify big budget shoots and costly travel? that's for people in a different type of suit to decide. for cnbc, i'm darren rovell, thanks for watching.

coming up on "the suze orman show," if you are deep in debt, i'll show you one tool to get out of it. also i can look at your expenses and find $1,000 a month that you throw out every single month. this is a scream for help. this is a scream that says, notice me! i'm ashleigh! i want everybody to see me. and you ask me, can i afford it? >> caller: first edition of "alice's adventures in wonderland." >> you want to spend -- let me get this right. hi, everybody, i'm suze orman and you are watching the suze orman show. here we are and a lot hasn't changed over all of the years i've been doing the show. we still happen to be a nation

that is deep in debt. in fact for many of you, you are deeper in debt than you have ever been before in your entire lives. what can we do right here and right now to start to turn that around? listen up. i've said it once. i've said it twice. i've said it a million times. you have got to face it to erase it. you have got to know two very important things about your financial life. first you have to know how much debt do you actually have? do you open up your credit card statements, do you tally everything? you need to open them up and tally it in front of you, so you can see this is how much debt i actually have. then you need to know, the second thing is, how much money do you have coming in, and how mu