Big fan of the look of the new playbills! I've gotten so accustomed to the borders over the years that it's a bit jarring looking at the current ones at first glance, but a show's given artwork looks a bit cleaner and neater with the new design. Playbills mean a lot to me - my dad's had a pretty cool connection to Playbill most his life (he grew up and is friends with Phil Birsh - he's still at the company these days), and I've appreciated the look and "purpose" even of a Playbill for years.
Didn't always think of it in this way, but from one perspective giving the audience that booklet, and having the cast listed (we take it for granted but it's not always the case in other countries) does the initial step of getting them to open up a booklet and learn about the show they're seeing. Having articles by people like Seth Rudetsky on the latest happenings in theater does the next step, it gets audience members interested in the theater as a broader art form in general (it's a win win for everyone!) before the rise of the curtain. I love that it succeeds in both those regards!
All in all, an awesome way to ensure Broadway houses stay filled for years to come!