BATH, England—A new TV advertisement for Lbovehoney’s pleasure products and lingerie take a humorous approach by featuring cute furry rabbits going at it like … well, rabbits.
“When we tested the concept with consumers they loved it, describing it as exciting, humorous and playful. It’s a little bit cheeky and is really getting talked about,” said Helen Balmer, brand and marketing director for Lovehoney. “Everyone who has seen it ends up with a big smile on their face.”
In the ad, which was cleared to air on British TV after 9 p.m., features bonking furry rabbits, cheeky spanking with a fly swatter and a happy, satisfied couple crashing on a bed in a post-coital glow. Award-winning Lovehoney was the first sex toy company to advertise on TV in the U.K.
The manufacturer’s previous ads, featuring couples talking about their positive experiences shopping at Lovehoney, have helped boost annual sales to £55 million and profits to increase by 79 percent to £3.7 million.
Balmer identified, through research and insight, that U.K. consumers are ready for a new approach for talking about/considering sex toys.
The aim is to convert the millions of adults currently considering buying sex toys into Lovehoney customers with ads celebrating the fun sex toys can bring to a relationship along with Lovehoney’s excellent customer service and discreet packaging.
The ad started showing on British TV on July 21 and it is being widely shared on social media.
Balmer, appointed last October, said: “Following an extremely high quality pitch process, we appointed Brave. We selected Brave because they really got our market, our brand and applied our insight. They developed a brilliant creative which is totally on brief and brand.”
Balmer led a creative team which included from Brave group Account Director Claire Knowles, Creative Head Caroline Paris, Senior Producer Emma Smalley and Director Mary Clerté from Partizan.
Knowles said: “We were delighted to work with Lovehoney to create a real category-shifting TV ad, to entice couples to enhance their sex lives in the pursuit of sexual happiness for everyone.”
Lovehoney has worked closely with regulators Clearcast and all its ads go out after the 9 p.m. watershed.
Balmer added: “We work hard with the regulators to create ads appropriate for post-watershed schedules. No sex toys are featured in the new ad, and instead we have lots of innuendo—a staple of British humor.”
Lovehoney is Britain’s biggest online sex toy retailer. It has the worldwide rights to all Fifty Shades sex toys and sexual wellbeing products and it is expecting a record year with the launch of the new Fifty Shades Darker movie around Valentine’s Day next year. The first movie, starring Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson, was one of the the biggest-grossing adult movie of all time.
Lovehoney has launched new websites in America, Canada, France, Germany, Australia and an .eu site for Europe, allowing customers to shop in Euros.
In April, Lovehoney won the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade for outstanding growth in overseas sales over the last three years. It allows Lovehoney to feature the Queen’s Award emblem on all its packaging.
Media planning and buying for the ad was done through The Specialist Works.
Watch the new ad on YouTube.com.
