Sunday, Feb 1, 2009    Text size: 

New Sensations caught the attention of the Hollywood gossip blog Defamer with an almost safe for work trailer for their upcoming mainstream spoof, "The Office, A XXX Parody."

Other prominent adult companies have had success with the mainstream media as well, among them, Digital Playground and X-Play. Digital Playground has built a mini-empire around its "Pirates" franchise, while X-Play has inspired the latest and hottest adult trend with its ubiquitous spoofs of old TV shows.

New Sensations Publicist Janeen Gensen told XBIZ that garnering mainstream attention isn't rocket science.

"There are no real frills or tricks to it," she said. "It's just a matter of contacting the mainstream media and getting the word out to enough people."

X-Play's Jeff Mullen is also no stranger to mainstream exposure, having seen his "Britney Rears" and "Not The Bradys XXX" projects appear on such shows as "The Insider," as well as on Defamer.

For Mullen, attracting the mainstream spotlight is all about making movies that stick in people's minds.

"We try to make sure we make products to go deeper than just the porn-buying audience," he told XBIZ. "We really try to appeal to the average American."

But while Mullen's movies might stick in people's minds, they sometimes stick in their craws, too. Apparently his "Bradys" movie drew the ire of some of the original cast members.

Tapping a store of controversy is another important way to turn heads over the hill in Hollywood, according to New Sensations' Gensen, who said that her company decided to choose a more timely subject for its latest mainstream spoof.

"We chose 'The Office' because it's got a following now that's alive and well," she said, later adding that her company plans to make more such spoofs in 2009, though she declined to name any titles.

Digital Playground, by contrast, has ventured into the mainstream through sheer force of will. Digital Playground Director of Marketing Adella declined to offer any specifics on how her company markets its stars and properties, instead describing in general terms an overall saturation strategy that keeps stars like Jesse Jane in the limelight as much as possible.

But the company's most prominent, on-record tactic has been to offer R-rated cuts of its signature titles, the "Pirates" movies.

"We don't do a lot of riding on other coattails," Adella said.