LELO A Hit on London’s Oxford Street

LONDON—Swedish designer brand LELO has announced that it has launched the U.K.’s first-ever interactive high street display window advertising sex toys to the public. LELO created the interactive display to adorn the shop window of the flagship outlet of erotic boutique Harmony on London’s Oxford Street, one of the U.K.’s busiest shopping thoroughfares. Jaime O’Sullivan, Harmony manager, said: “The Oxford Street shopper has always shown an interest in our window, but the LELO window design is the best we’ve ever had. I was initially worried we were premature in installing the Christmas window but my fears have been allayed by strong weekend sales. Visits to our flagship store have increased radically since Friday, so it’s seems it was a decision well made.” The LELO display depicts “Pleasures That Dreams Are Made Of,” as passersby watch a woman wistfully interacting with different fantasies, encased in bubbles hanging from the ceiling. In the display are a number of bestselling LELO products that retail at prices of up to 150 pounds. This proved more challenging than it initially sounds, as current laws ban sex toy advertisement in public. Knowing this, LELO instead chose to display their premium “Pleasure Objects” within their award-winning packaging, while also showcasing their accessories range of silk and suede blindfolds, handcuffs, pleasure ties and teasers. (See video here). A week in, LELO is happy to report that the display has received the seal of approval from not only Westminster Council, but also from Oxford Street shoppers. Harmony has reported a huge buzz surrounding their LELO window, with store visits rocketing since the weekend. Despite growing restrictions on adult content and the Prime Minister’s recent crackdown on internet porn, the U.K. remains the third biggest consumer of sex toys per head in the world; more than 40 percent of U.K. women own a sex toy, according to the Global Sex Toy Index by the Hewson Group, a figure that is growing year by year. Steve Thomson, LELO global marketing director, commented: “Unlike the majority of brands in British high streets, the law puts us in the position of not actually being able to display our products in their entirety. Not ones to shy away from a challenge, we’re very pleased with this latest display—it marks a huge step forward in official acceptance of a luxury intimate lifestyle brand such as LELO. We’re thrilled U.K. laws recognize and support this stylish approach to pleasure.” The Harmony Window Display can be found on 103 Oxford St, London, between Nov. 1 and JaJan. 1, 2014. For more information, visit www.LELO.com.