BBL LLC Owner and CEO Eyal Feldman told XBIZ that he first met Lettuce, whose real name is Steven Polito, at one of his shows in New York City. Since then, Feldman has kept in touch with the performer, who appears at events all over the country in costume with his comedy routine.
The decision to put Polito's drag persona into a Boy Butter ad came naturally, because Polito beat them to it. He mentioned Boy Butter in one of Lettuce's comedy routines. Boy Butter has been sponsoring all of Polito's appearances since 2007.
Polito's appearance on an episode of popular fashion-design reality show "Project Runway" simply increased the new Boy Butter advertisement's luster. Polito lent his alter ego to the show's fifth season in an episode that tasked the competing designers to build a suitable outfit for a drag queen.
In the new ad, Polito pitches the main Boy Butter lubricant as an ideal product for the gay community. Feldman said that while his company's products work well for men and women, he originally invented them for male use, which led to their popularity among gay men.
"Anything that is greasy or oily — anything that retains moisture — is better for men," he said. "Water-based lubricants work fine for women because they self-lubricate. Men don't, and we need to use products that make up for that."
Feldman added that one-third of his customers are women, and that his company's products also make for an easier and better-smelling clean-up — both qualities extolled in the new advertisement.
For more information on Hedda Lettuce, visit HeddaLettuce.com. For more information on Boy Butter products, visit BoyButter.com or ShopLube.com.