Article: Bawdy building: Francis expands 'Girls Gone Wild' brand to restaurants, apparel.(Joe Francis )

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

THE man behind the "Girls Gone Wild" videos plans to open two mainstream businesses this year--without losing his wildness.

Joe Francis owns Mantra Films Inc., the Santa Monica company that sells nearly $100 million worth of soft porn DVDs every year. The company also produces more than 700 events and runs several well-trafficked Web sites.

Now Francis, 33, has set his eyes on two lucrative brand extensions: apparel and restaurants. For both projects, which will carry the "Girls Gone Wild" name, he will follow his proven formula that sex sells, a motto he learned in his first marketing class at USC.

"Sexiness ...

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