At January’s ANME Show, Sportsheets unveiled new packaging design for its Premium brand. Featuring more than 100 products, the Premium line now is presented with sleek plan-ogram set-up highlighting the stylish packaging redesign with gold foil, spot UV on the products, erotic stories and QR codes. The Sportsheets team sat down with XBIZ Sensuals to discuss the latest additions and upgrades to its signature range.
How many products are in the Premium signature collection?
The Sportsheets Premium brand’s visual presentation no longer constrains the retailer to placing the line in the BSDM section of their stores.
There are over 100 in our Sportsheets Premium brand. We have products targeted to sexual positioning, restraint play, fantasy play and strap-on harnesses. The New Comers Kit for “pegging” is the number one seller. The top selling Sexual positioning product is the “I like it Doggie style Strap,” which is not a strap-on but a soft belt the a woman places around her lower abdomen and her partner holds the belt handles and can exert more pressure on and into the woman.
What are the line’s best sellers?
Sportsheets is celebrating our 20th anniversary this year; our success is due largely to innovative, quality products. Our top five sellers in the Sportsheets brand are: The Under the Bed Restraints, Door Jam Sex Sling, Beginner’s Bondage Fantasy Kit, Sexy Slave kit and Bondage Bar.
What inspired the re-launch of the Premium signature collection?
A year and a half ago, we debuted our Sex & Mischief brand in upscale, highfashion, black-and-white packaging, as an affordable entry level BDSM choice. S&M’s approachable, soft, sexy look was so well received by our distributors and consumers; we knew we had to create a contemporary, bold look for our premium brand, Sportsheets. We believe our creative team has outdone themselves and raised the bar, by creating a rich, vibrant, lush, opulent campaign for the re-brand of Sportsheets. Sportsheets, now, clearly states, “I’m a bit more expensive but worth it!” S&M and Sportsheets packaging, now complement one another. S&M and Sportsheets brands’ visual presentation no longer constrains the retailer to placing them in the BSDM section of their stores. The retailer has complete freedom to choose the perfect place to merchandize, these high demand products.
What packaging details of the Premium signature collection are you most excited about?
All of it! We changed our font style, added gold foil and incorporating our highly successful erotic stories. We also added spot UV, to make the product almost jump out at you. It’s a lot of substance, with a touch of gold and glitz. To support our Sportsheets motto, “keeping couples connected,” we kept the images couples-friendly, exciting and sexy. We are hoping it will prompt couples to think creatively and add more spice to their sexual repertoire.
What has been the response to the revamped look?
During the ANME show and XBIZ 360, our customers shared how blown away they are with our bold, elegant packaging. They are excited to get this new packaging in their warehouses onto their customer’s walls and displayed next to the Sex & Mischief products. They expect to them fly out the door!
What led to the inclusion of the erotic stories on the new packaging?
The Sex & Mischief line launched the erotic stories. We were the first adult company to write erotic stories as selling tool for staff members and to help spark sexual creativity for consumers. We’ve continued the product-specific erotic stories with the new Sportsheets packages. Sportsheets’ goal is to help the customer create a “take home” fantasy. When a customer reads the text on the back of the box, they immediately create a video in their mind’s eye, projecting themselves into that story. Many consumers are shy or inexperienced about how to use some products, our erotic stories help educate, stimulate and give permission to live out their fantasies. What better way is there to keep couples connected?
How is the Premium collection different from S&M? How do the lines complement each other?
Our Premium Sportsheets brand offers couples more interchangeable options. Many of the products contain D-Rings and locking clips, like the Under the Bed Restraints and the Sportsheet (king or queen), which allow for adding tethers and additional cuffs to the main kit. The Premium Collection is priced higher due to the interchangeable features. This brand is specifically targeted to couples with a bit more expendable income, couples with a basic working knowledge of restraint play, and couples who are brand conscious. Sex & Mischief offers the titillation of restraint play without the higher investment and is targeted to entice novice or new restraint players.
What marketing materials are available for the Premium signature collection?
We have stunning catalogs, posters with the new images, point of sale printed materials, Planogram color flyers, our historical Timeline and updated Sportsheets (and Sex & Mischief) videos for in our in-store digital video frames. Additionally, we make available to our distributors and retailers a monthly marketing and educational brochure that they can get through our sales staff. They can be reached at info@sportsheets.com or (800) 962-4606.
Discuss the marketability of the Premium collection.
The Sportsheets Premium collection presents a rich, vibrant, opulent campaign, differentiating Sportsheets from other BDSM brands. The Sportsheets Premium brand’s visual presentation no longer constrains the retailer to placing the line in the BSDM section of their stores. The retailer has complete freedom to choose the perfect place to merchandize, these high demand products.
Any new additions to the collection?
In January we released an adjustable spreader bar. It’s an aluminum tube in three parts that expands with a simple push of a spring-loaded button. It’s very strong, lightweight and priced perfectly for the Sportsheets premium line. It travels well and can be used anywhere. Stay tuned for more!
