Page 21 - AVN Intimate Spring 2014

R R e e a a l l i i t t y y S S t t a a r r C C o o c c o o V V i i s s i i t t s s E E l l d d o o r r a a d d o o a a t t I I L L S S
Reality star, model, designer and author Coco (pictured) is one celebrity who is doing
her best to bring pleasure products into the mainstream limelight. Coco worked closely
with California Exotic Novelties’ Susan Colvin and her team to design the sex toy line.
In her talks with CalExotics, said Colvin, president and CEO of CalExotics, “Coco
stressed how important it was for the line to appeal to women. It was her idea to make
the toys something girlfriends want to share, to talk about, and to confide in each other
about. She wants the products to be things to help women discover their sensuality and
open up about their inner passions. Like CalExotics, we share a similar goal to help edu-
cate women and couples about sexual health and wellness.”
The Coco Licious line consists of 12 products, including a compact vibe, massagers
disguised as lipstick and a compact, and newly designed rabbits.
On a mission to promote Coco Licious, Coco has been hitting the PR trail—including a
stop March 5 on Late Night With Seth Meyers.
Appearing on the show with her husband, Ice-T, Coco explained to Meyers that she
created the Coco Licious line to make women happier with themselves. “I’m going to
make you look good inside and out,” she said. When Meyers held up a box containing
the line’s Lipstick Vibe, Coco smiled, “This is going to help you—inside.”
She added, “My whole collection is cutesy, girly. It’s very discreet; you can put it in
your purse and no one will know.”
Meyers joked that it wouldn’t be quite so discreet if he were carrying the vibe around,
and Ice-T expressed his own perplexity about his wife’s new venture.
“I haven’t figured out what to do with any of these things,” said the gruff-voiced rap-
per-turned-actor. “You can’t walk around with one of these things. Where would you
stick it?”
“Well, you know …” Coco said, trailing off suggestively.
Without missing a beat came Ice-T’s response: a firm
“No.”
Among Coco’s other promotional appearances is a stop
at the International Lingerie Show, held March 31-April 2
at the Rio Hotel & Convention Center in Las Vegas. The
sex toy celeb will be at the Eldorado Trading Company
booth, where she will be promoting the Coco Licious
line.
“Eldorado is excited to pick up this line from a great
manufacturer and endorsed by a strong female celebrity
who empowers women,” said Eldorado CEO Larry Garland.
Coco will be in the Eldorado ILS booth on April 1 from
1-3 p.m. Contact Eldorado’s sales department at (800)
525-0848, or email sales@eldorado.net for more infor-
mation.
We all know people use sex toys, and when the public hears
about celebrities who do, too, it gives them validation, and
even permission, to do the same.
—Susan Colvin
“
For some manufacturers, that interest in the sex toys celebrities
are buying can translate into sales and more recognition for their
brands.
“Everyone always wants to know what celebrities are wearing,
who they are dating etc.,” said Lucy Vonne D’Olimpio Kendrick, sales
executive for Evolved Novelties. “Finding out what sex toys they are
using is almost like what did they wear to that last event. People
aspire to be like certain celebrities and if you found out what your
most favorite actress was using in the bedroom you might just go
out and get the same thing. Similar if you saw her wearing the lat-
est greatest bag, you just have to have it.
“For an industry that has still been so taboo, by having a celebri-
ty back your product it makes it much more mainstream and accept-
able,” she continued. “It also can bring a whole new customer base
you haven’t reached in the past. A fan base of people who might
not have even thought about sex toys but seeing their idol back a
brand or toy makes it OK now to go get one.”
But it’s not just celebrities buying sex toys that’s brought more of
a sense of legitimacy to the pleasure products industry; celebrities
designing their own lines has helped do away with some of the
taboo. Evolved Novelties worked with Kendra Wilkinson, reality TV
star and former girlfriend to Playboy’s Hugh Hefner, to create her
own line of products: Love Candy By Kendra. Though Wilkinson was
not the first mainstream celebrity to create her own collection of
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SPRING 2014 | INTIMATE SUPPLEMENT 21