Page 34 - AVN Intimate Summer 2019

Formulas for Success Top left, Scott Fraser of Empowered Products, manufacturer of Gun Oil. Top right, a poster for Bucked at ANME.
Bottom left, Snake Oil Cum Lube from Boneyard Toys. Bottom right, one of the products marketed under the Elbow Grease imprimatur.
34 | INTIMATE | SUMMER 2019
Novelty Manufacturers Expo in January for the
big product launch, which featured sexy male
models and drew a lot of attention during the show.
“We’ve been working on this for about a year and
a half,” he told AVN at the show. “We did a lot of
market research. I interviewed a lot of gay men,
gay groups, and there’s not a lot of lube on the
market designed for the gay man—specifically the
bottom. The ingredients are healing—there’s aloe
and vitamin E, which is great for penetration, right?
Heal and go. The number-one SKU will be a hybrid
of silicone and water. … The packaging is very
masculine—it’s unique. It’s for the gay man. We’re
excited about it.”
Greer added, “There’s a cool product called
a masturbation cream. … They have it in two
different flavors: unscented and leather.”
And not surprisingly, Novinger of Chi Chi
LaRue’s will introduce the brand to his customers.
In fact, Bucked made its official bow before
consumers at the West Hollywood store during
Pride weekend in June. Shoppers at Chi Chi
LaRue’s were able to buy one full-size product and
get a travel size for free, and they also could enter a
social media selfie contest to win an iPad.
But despite all the marketing efforts and all of the
excitement about new brands and niche products,
Dennis Paradise likes to remind people about the
bottom line. “It’s extremely important as to what’s
in the bottle,” he says. Quality lubricants serve
all consumers, no matter their gender or sexual
orientation. And stocking the major players is
key, because then retailers can benefit from those
brands’ name recognition and customer loyalty.
“The No. 1 selling water-based lubricant in the
country is Astroglide,” Paradise said, adding that
the brand’s silicone lubricant is also very popular.
“Adult stores should carry Astroglide,” he
emphasized, noting that new brands are not big
enough to do mass advertising to the consumer.
“By putting Astroglide at eye level on your
shelf, you’re adding credibility. … A guy asks for
Astroglide, you want to convince him that you’ve
got the stuff that he came in for.”