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Q&A: LELO Goes Mainstream With ‘Magic Mike’ Partnership

Q&A: LELO Goes Mainstream With ‘Magic Mike’ Partnership

On Friday, April 21, “Magic Mike Live” opened at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. The original Magic Mike — Channing Tatum, with his wife Jenna Dewan-Tatum at his side, hosted the red carpet event.

“Magic Mike Live” is an entertainment experience based off of the hit films “Magic Mike” and “Magic Mike XXL.” The show features 13 of the hottest and most talented men from around the country. With a 360-view, the performers entertain both on and around the stage. This allows audience members to feel like they are in the middle of all the crazy action that this show has to offer.

Adult retailers will benefit from our partnership as this strengthens LELO’s brand identity by aligning with a globally recognized partner that is synonymous with empowering women’s pleasure.

When Mario Castro, senior account manager at LELO, sent me an invitation to attend this event, I obviously could NOT decline. What woman in her right mind would not want to see this show and Channing Tatum!

Upon entering the showroom you find yourself in between a bar and a LELO-branded “touch and play” area with dim lighting, which offers the perfect discretion for the ladies that choose “LAY-LOW” and select the items they would like to bring home. These items are clearly a great souvenir to remember the show by and pack a much bigger punch than the average key chain or shot glass.

After a wonderful night enjoying the show, and meeting Channing Tatum, I had several questions to ask the team at LELO. Who, what, when, why and how did this all come about? Partnering with a show like this does offer some obvious reasons but I thought these details would make for a great article to share with our industry. Zabrina Law, trade marketing manager for LELO, was happy to offer up the details.

XBIZ: What is the relationship between Lelo and MML?

Zabrina Law: LELO sponsored the official opening of “Magic Mike Live” Las Vegas, a celebration event that brought a slew of celebrities including Channing Tatum, Jenna Dewan-Tatum and Joseph Gordon Levitt. Both MML and LELO exist in a space that celebrates pleasure and its pursuits. Both brands promote a healthy exploration of sex and sexuality. There is a beautiful space of intimate moments with oneself and with a partner while exploring love and pleasure. Both LELO and MML celebrate this space.

XBIZ: How did this partnership come about?

Law: MML was seeking a partner that aligns with its mission and values to deliver a show that is both sexy and classy. Due to the film’s success we knew the characters and a storyline of the live show would capture the attention and imagination of the mainstream public. LELO saw an opportunity to connect with a like-minded partner that focused on empowering women to explore their deepest desires. This was a natural fit for both LELO and MML.

XBIZ: What are you hoping to accomplish by this partnership?

Law: LELO is all about celebrating pleasure, and MML provided a platform for us to develop a stronger connection with a strong yet curious female audience. As a brand, we have been working for years to shift the needle towards a more open and inclusive space to talk about pleasure.

XBIZ: How will this benefit other retailers carrying your brand?

Law: Adult retailers will benefit from our partnership as this strengthens LELO’s brand identity by aligning with a globally recognized partner that is synonymous with empowering women’s pleasure. A show that captures mainstream attention in this way helps to wave the flag of acceptance to end-consumers, widening the pie for all retailers in the adult space.

XBIZ: Can guests purchase your items during the show? If so what are the price points of a few popular styles?

Law: Guests can visit the “Pleasure Bar by MAGIC + LELO” which is sponsored by the brand; guests can choose from a menu of pleasure items, all of which feature a LELO pleasure object, including our best-sellers like the Gigi 2, and Ina Wave. Due to limitations upheld by the venue, only a small number of products are on offer. The primary focus of our involvement with this show is to create an open space to talk about sex, pleasure and products.

LELO’s partnership with “Magic Mike Live” helps drive traffic into all adult retail outlets. For us, we do not see this as another business to compete with in our area. Being as we carry the entire line of LELO Pleasure Objects, this sends shoppers in our direction when they are in search of a bit more than what the “Pleasure Bar by MAGIC+LELO” has to offer.

LELO is one of our top-selling lines at Deja Vu and we could not be happier with the quality and design this brand has to offer. In order to be successful with LELO and other luxury brands, Deja Vu provides extensive training with sales associates to guarantee they are given the proper tools to sell products with higher price tags such as these. In addition to furnishing details about the specific items, we are sure to follow up by testing our staff on pricing, colors, materials, functions and all other specifications. We find the best way to exude confidence is by having the proper education on what we are trying to sell. We do not want our sales associates to memorize a script; we want them to actually know what it is they are trying to sell and why the price of the items matches the value.

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