Owners Announce Name Change for MindGeek to Aylo

MONTREAL—The new owners of adult industry megacorporation MindGeek announced Thursday that the company has been renamed Aylo.  This marks the second name change for the parent company of popular brands including Pornhub, Brazzers, Men.com and more, which was founded in 2004 under the name Manwin, then in 2013 rebranded as MindGeek. Today's announcement comes just two days after the appointment of Alexzandra Kekesi as the new Head of Community and Brand for Pornhub, which was touted in the mainstream press as a move to help that shingle foster more "respectability" among the general public. Sara Bain, the VP of Public Engagement for Ethical Capital Partners—the investment group that acquired then-MindGeek in March—commented on the latest identity change for the company, "Since March 2023, as the new owners of MindGeek, now Aylo, we committed to meeting with employees and external stakeholders. We heard from our colleagues that they needed a fresh start. At the same time, ECP also committed to be more present in conversations that impact Aylo’s business, along with plans to correct misinformation and public perception about the company, who they are, and how they present themselves to the world. This new public mission requires a new public brand. This is but a first step, we will continue to communicate our efforts to position Aylo as a leader in innovation, diverse and inclusive adult content, and trust and safety." Kekesi echoed those comments, saying, "My colleagues and I are proud to work at Aylo, and we are eager to build this brand as a tech leader. The Pornhub team is excited to be a part of Aylo and will continue to provide a safe space for verified content creators and the entire adult entertainment community to share, monetize and enjoy content. Under this new banner, we will continue to commit to our core values of consent, freedom of sexual expression, authenticity, originality and diversity." In its announcement of the name changed, the company noted that this "newest chapter" under the ownership of ECP called for "a new brand that aligns with the employees' values and aspirations. Our people, recognizing the importance of an updated identity, voiced their concerns and expressed the desire for a name that truly represents them and allows the company to re-focus its efforts to lead by example, through transparency and public engagement. Aylo’s strong foundation comprises the efforts made, innovations developed, and communities built by employees over the years. These sentiments have been echoed by stakeholders and are shared by ECP.  "The new name, Aylo, symbolizes a fresh beginning, reflecting our dedication to being a global leading tech platform that empowers hundreds of thousands of creators to earn a living, that employs innovative employees, and that provides hundreds of millions of users worldwide with safe content. This rebrand not only marks a pivotal moment for our company but also emphasizes our commitment to our employees, the content creator community, and the millions of adult users who visit our sites every day." Addressing the genesis of the name, the Aylo management team stated: "While you won’t find 'Aylo' in a dictionary, we see this as an opportunity to infuse our new corporate name with meaning. Our goal is for 'Aylo' to be synonymous with our core principles: innovation, diverse and inclusive adult content, and trust and safety. We wanted a fresh start, so we opted for a name that gave us that freedom, so that our team and our new owners could define it how we want. Thank you to all employees for their unwavering commitment over the years and for their valuable input throughout this rebranding process." For more information, visit Aylo.com.