LOS ANGELES—Companies are constantly looking for new ways to introduce their products to wider audiences, and cutting edge marketing techniques are the key to any successful ad strategy. Groupon grew to a billion dollar company in a year with a unique new marketing method. For adult products companies the Holy Grail of marketing is being able to seamlessly get their company in front of a mainstream audience.
Internet entrepreneur Sex Toy Dave, who is owner of online sex toys sales site SexToy.com, seems to have found that opening and has pioneered the way for others in his business through the use of live comedy shows.
Sex Toy Dave has had many creative marketing ideas. He created the first affiliate program for adult products in 1996, which made his reputation. Recently, he sent the first vibrator into space. But he is most famous for appearing in three seasons of Bravo's hit reality TV show Millionaire Matchmaker. However, over the past two years Dave has been honing his comedy chops on stage in front of live audiences. He started out doing open mics around town and now is hosting comedy shows as well as sharing the stage with some of comedy’s top headliners. He performs in the main room atHollywood’s Comedy Store, and in his act he shows and makes jokes about adult toys like the Alien Blow-Up Doll and the Obama Dildo.
“Between throwing Hollywood parties, selling sex toys, just getting married and still keeping a stripper pole in the living room, I have a lot of content!” he said about his foray into the comedy world.
At the end of his performance he gives away free vibrators and makes jokes about the people who want the toys. Dave's recent performances include him hosting at The Parlor inHollywoodwhere Daniel Tosh and Dave Chapelle both performed for Dave's show. Dave also has a regular running appearance in the main room at the Comedy Store on Sunset. His next performance will be back at the Parlor at 9 p.m. on March 12.
On top of performing, Dave has helped other companies in his industry use comedy as a marketing tool. Take for instance the largest manufacturer of sex toys inEuropeand a major player here in the States, Fun Factory. In October 2011, through the help of Sex Toy Dave, Fun Factory began sponsoring Sam Tripoli’s “Naughty Show,” an act that has been hosted at variousHollywoodclubs including Voyeur, The Comedy Store and The Viper room.Tripolihad always been notorious for having a raunchy act, and Fun Factory capitalized on this by integrating their brand and products into the show.Tripoli's show is now a mix of stand-up comedy, skits, and interviews with porn stars.
Dave also sponsored former Skid Row drummer Phil Varone’s sex and comedy show. Because of his on stage comedy performances, Varone is the first rock star to come out with a dildo molded from his likeness, and it comes complete with a piercing on the tip. He has developed a full line of toys including vibrators shaped like drum sticks and sex toy accessories, and all products are emblazoned with the tag line “Sex Toys & Rock n Roll.”
To promote his sex toys and his celebrity image, Phil runs a comedy show that was initially sponsored by Sex Toy Dave called "Sex, Stand-Up, and Rock and Roll." The show consists of a live band that plays a few songs and features performances from top stand-up comedians. Phil hosts, and has a raffle to get an audience member to come on stage and accept a gift basket full of quality sex toys.
Throughout history, comedy has been used to speak about important subjects in an acceptable way. It seems sex is finding its voice through comedy. Marketing sex toys in a mainstream comedy space seems be a forward thinking and strategic move by Dave.
“I've always believed the key to marketing sex toys is to get my personality out to the mainstream. I did that with dating shows and being single. Now that I'm married, I've turned to comedy. I perform and now sponsor people. Some day I hope to get back onto Bravo, but this time as a comedian,” said Dave.
For more information, visit TheParlorCA.com.
