Sqweel for Joy: Lovehoney's Sex Toy Competition Back Again

CYBERSPACE—International online sex toy retailer Lovehoney is once again opening its doors to budding designers for its Design a Sex Toy competition. The contest is known in the pleasure product biz for its most prominent winning design, the Sqweel oral sex simulator. The competition encourages people to send in their ideas for sex toys, from tweaks on classic sex toys to fresh new designs. Lovehoney co-owner Richard Longhurst said, "This competition is great fun. We get to look at some fantastic designs from some very talented people that would otherwise never get seen. You don't have to have any experience in design to enter. We're just looking for fresh ideas that stand out from the crowd." Lovehoney has assembled a panel of expert judges, including Lelo and Tickler Founder Eric Kalén—who could justifiably be called the Philippe Starck of sex toys—along with Lovehoney Operations Manager Paul Jaques, Lovehoney Product Director Bonny Hall and Lovehoney Online Trading Manager Alice Little. There are three categories to enter: Sex Toys for Men, Sex Toys for Women and Sex Toys for Couples. The winner of each category will win $1,500 and the Judges' Pick will receive an extra $3,000, making a grand total of $7,500 prize money. The winners will also have the chance to have their toy made and earn uncapped royalties. Last year's overall winner was Kevin Clark with his unusual take on a female vibrator. He said, "After looking at the range of sex toys on the market, I was really drawn to the idea of improving the dildo. "I submitted my idea to Lovehoney and was totally stunned when I got the email telling me that I had won. I celebrated by taking my wife to a great restaurant and ordering champagne." Clark's design is still in concept stage so information about the winning design is under wraps for now, but Clark did have this advice for those who were planning on entering: "Think revolution not evolution." Perhaps the most successful previous winner was Trevor Murphy from Dublin, Ireland, who won the competition back in 2009 with his invention, the Sqweel Oral Sex Simulator. The product, which is manufactured and distributed by Lovehoney, is has sold hundreds of thousands of units and earned Murphy more than $150,000 in royalties. Murphy said, "I was a struggling artist, living in the Irish countryside with not a whole lot to do. Winning the competition and having my toy produced for real has allowed me to move to the awesome city of Toronto, Canada, and have hobbies like comedy improv! My life has changed a lot!" The Lovehoney team will consider all designs submitted to them, from high tech computer-generated designs to 3D models, and even a scribble on a Post-It note. What are you waiting for? For more information about entering and the competition's terms and conditions, click here. The competition is running on Lovehoney's U.K., U.S. and Australian websites.