Lovehoney Australia is making waves with its latest out-of-home Ad campaign, cleverly dubbed the “Not a Sex Toy” campaign. This week, billboards featuring household items used for pleasure by Aussies have sprung up across major cities, bypassing advertising restrictions with cheeky ingenuity.
This innovative campaign comes on the heels of new research revealing that over a third of Australians (34 per cent) are getting creative with household objects for sexual satisfaction. By spotlighting these everyday items, Lovehoney aims to highlight the need for proper, safe, and designed-for-purpose pleasure products, while bypassing advertising censorship the sexual wellness industry faces.
In a series of ‘unbannable’ billboards, Lovehoney has showcased the most popular items Aussies are using in place of sex toys, including pillows (36 per cent), shower heads (32 per cent), vegetables (30 per cent), electric toothbrushes (24 per cent), mobile phones (18 per cent), and even washing machines (10 per cent). The eye-catching ads carry a clear message: “You deserve better.”
“The ‘Not a Sex Toy’ campaign is our response to the extreme levels of censorship we face not only within traditional advertising avenues but also across digital platforms like Google and Meta. Despite the proven benefits of sex toys for wellbeing and overall health, these restrictions force us to get creative. Our billboards showcase common household items Aussies are using for pleasure, sending a clear message, ‘Censorship might mean that we have to get creative, but you don’t. You deserve better.’ This campaign is not just about circumventing ad guidelines, it’s about sparking a conversation on why sexual wellness should be normalised and celebrated,” said Charlie Ganzen, Lovehoney ANZ director.
The “Not a Sex Toy” campaign also comes after Lovehoney ranked fourth for Australia’s most complained-about ad of 2023. The controversial billboard from last year, featuring the phrase “Winter chills have never felt so good” alongside an image of a hand holding a sexual wellness product, received 99 complaints.
“We’ve dubbed these billboards the ‘Unbannable Ads’ because advertising guidelines restrict what they consider to be ‘explicit content’. This campaign is our creative response to those limitations, and it’s a playful nod to the resourcefulness of Aussies using everyday items for pleasure,” Ganzen added.
“We love a bit of creativity in the bedroom at Lovehoney, but let’s keep it safe, folks! Household items aren’t designed for intimate fun and can lead to some pretty awkward doctor visits. If you’re feeling adventurous, do a little research on how to play it safe, or better yet, invest in a purpose-made sex toy. These are crafted from safe materials and rigorously tested to ensure they’re perfect for the delicate areas they’re stimulating,” said Christine Rafe, Lovehoney’s Sex and Relationship Expert.
