Fun Factory Breaks New Ground in Sex-Toy Marketing

LOS ANGELES—On Oct. 8, esteemed comic Sam Tripoli teamed with what he calls “The Cadillac” of adult toy manufacturers, Fun Factory, for a legendary Naughty Show, nearly selling out the Viper Room inHollywood,Calif. The partnership of the Naughty Comedy Show, headlined by Jackass’s Steve O, and Fun Factory was a smash success with its blend of mainstream entertainment and the adult industry. Fun Factory toys were on display throughout the room to be played with by patrons, with more toys given out as prizes during the night’s contests. The show had a fun, risqué, rock ’n’ roll vibe, yet still kept it classy and sexy enough that gentlemen who brought their ladies had no worries about her being offended and making him sleep on the couch. The Naughty Show, hosted by Comedy Central’s Sam Tripoli, featured something for everyone, from top headlining comics Steve O, Iliza Shlesinger, Tom Segura, and Showtime’s Jayson Thibault, to sexy adult film stars Bobbi Starr and Kayla Paige. In between the comics, patrons were treated to a stunning burlesque performance by Elaine “Lanie” Hoxie, and a championship pole dancing experience by Annemarie Davies. As an introduction, Fun Factory CEO Joe Curtis took the stage for his debut to warm up the crowd, getting a surprisingly large amount of laughs for a first timer, with jokes dealing with everything from masturbation to Michael J. Fox. It worked in both a comedy capacity, as well as a marketing tool, as he managed to blend the Fun Factory brand into his act, keeping it respectable while still being “naughty” enough to garner laughs from the crowd. “We are delighted to partner with the comedy scene as a means of marketing our brand to mainstream audiences, and extend our exposure,” Curtis said. Adult toy companies frequently struggle garnering mainstream attention, largely due to the general population’s apprehension of the subject matter. Fun Factory’s comedy show was a novel opportunity to get mainstream acceptance as well as celebrity association. For more information, visit FunFactory.com.