SYDNEY — Lovehoney Australia has launched a new billboard campaign that playfully addresses the issue of government censorship of pleasure products in public places.
Lovehoney’s “Not a Sex Toy” campaign, featuring everyday items that euphemistically refer to attributes of actual devices sold by the company, has been unrolled across major Australian cities.
The company took as inspiration a survey listing the most popular household items used by Australians for sexual gratification: pillows (36%), shower heads (32%), vegetables (30%), electric toothbrushes (24%), mobile phones (18%) and washing machines (10%).
The billboards, trade publication Branding in Asia noted, “bypass advertising restrictions with a hefty dose of cheeky ingenuity.”
“Thanks to censorship, we’re getting creative,” one of the billboards proclaims alongside a hand suggestively holding a phallic cucumber. “But let’s face it, you deserve better. Discover your better with Lovehoney.”
“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,” a rep explained.
Lovehoney ANZ Director Charlie Ganzen told Branding in Asia that the campaign is the company’s response to “extreme levels of censorship” both in traditional advertising spaces and on digital platforms like Google and Meta.
Noting the proven benefits of sex toys for well-being and overall health, Ganzen added that the campaign “is not just about circumventing ad guidelines, it’s about sparking a conversation on why sexual wellness should be normalized and celebrated.”
For more information, visit Lovehoney.com.au.