Novelty Companies Have Strong Showing at ILS

LAS VEGAS—While it’s known as the International Lingerie Show, in recent years the manufacturers and distributors of adult novelties and pleasure products have taken over booth space at the bi-annual show. And this year was no exception. ILS, which ran April 8-10, saw several companies touting new products and partnerships, as well as promising big things in the coming weeks. After a few hiccups with customs issues and the FDA, Je Joue had a big presence at the show with a booth and their items on display with their new distributor, Eldorado. The manufacturer’s Ami balls, which are Kegel exercisers, will soon be available in a new color, company reps said, The fuchsia will match the color options of other products. And Alicia Relles of Je Joue noted a “soft touch” version of the MiMi will be coming out in June. “The vibrations are deeper … more rumbly,” Relles said. Additionally, the company will be coming out with new POS displays for stores that have charging station for any combination of the five SKUs Je Joue offers, and a theft device. The displays give retailers the ability to customize them for their own needs, a company rep explained. Jopen also had a presence on the show floor, with Brand Manager Robin Stewart showing off the Vanity, Ego and Key lines from the luxury manufacturer. The Envy line was drawing plenty of attention, especially since Vibrators.com recently published the results of an independent study that named the trio of vibrators the strongest rechargeable vibrators available, she said. Representatives from Merci Toys were ready to discuss the company’s new Merci Lubricant, a water-based organic lubricant from Japan. Hansen Hwang explained that the lubricant is, for all intents and purposes, the only lubricant used in Japan, and Merci Toys is the only company authorized to import it into the U.S. Deeva, which carries the Fukuoku Glove, showcased a new display unit that holds 12 of the waterproof gloves (thee of the pink left gloves, three pink right, three left black and three right black) and has a TV monitor built in to the unit. “It basically acts as a silent salesperson in the store,” company official Howard explained. Additionally, the display can also be used to show off the 6000, 9000 and 12000 Fingertip massagers the company offers, he noted. The massagers work when the user inserts his or her fingers and makes contact with the two sensor pads inside. “There’s no switch to turn on or off,” Howard said. “So you can’t screw it up.” Getting a bit of attention on the show floor was Revel Body, a new company that is currently conducting a crowd-funding campaign on IndieGoGo.com for its sonic vibrator. Company rep Linda Cox said the product’s True Sonic Technology is based on that used in sonic toothbrushes. Unlike traditional rotary motors, which typically vibrate at a range of about 60-100Hz, TrueSonic resonating motors provide a significantly wider range of vibration—adjustable between 24-200Hz—and substantially more power than any other battery-powered vibrator. With only a single moving part, TrueSonic motors are also extremely quiet and efficient, lasting at least four times longer than traditional rotary motors.  Dean Elliott of Sliquid and Lovehoney said his company reps were in attendance to show off the Fifty Shades of Grey—The Official Pleasure Collection, which is the only collection of pleasure products based on the best-selling trilogy that are endorsed by the books’ author E.L. James. He also noted that Sliquid has some new items that will be ready by July, including a new moisturizer with jojoba oil and beeswax for the labia, and a revamped version of the company’s popular Splash line. “There will be a new formula and some new packaging that will have more of a spa look to it,” he said. Tsuneki Sato of Tenga was in the Liberator booth and spent much of his time talking about the items in the new Iroha brand for women. The products launched in early March in Japan and sold out within a week. “We issued an apology in Japan that we were sorry about running out, and that has sort of gone viral,” he said. The items—which resemble mochi, a Japanese confection—comes in pastel colors and boast a unique “soft touch” material that feel likes silky smooth silicone over a gel-like material. Several distributors were also seeing heavy foot traffic, including Entrenue, where several companies sent representatives to talk about their own brands. Karianne Ronning of Laid, which is based in Oslo, Norway, did demonstrations of the company’s C.1—the first vibrating item from the manufacturer—and the new magnetic Kegel balls. “For the C.1, the C is not for ‘cock ring,’ even though the design is a ring,” Ronning said. The C, she said, stands for clitoris. The ring is ergonomically designed to work a number of ways in stimulating the clitoris and labia. And since the entire ring vibrates, it can be used anywhere, really, she said. It is waterproof and rechargeable, and can also fit over any vibrator to add a new dimension of pleasure.