Perri's President Anthony Perri told XBIZ that he contacted Penthouse with the idea after seeing other successful music accessories featuring adult brands Playboy and Vivid.
"Penthouse has a good reputation and we thought they could make a really cool line," Perri said. "For the market we're after, which is the 20- to 30-year old group, it was a perfect fit for us."
Penthouse Director of Licensing Amanda Byrd told XBIZ that Perri's was interested in expanding its licensing program. The company also owns the rights to iconic names such as David Bowie, Queen, Elvis Presley and Betty Boop, and Byrd said Perri is looking to supplement those lines.
"Penthouse has softened its content and is looking to cross over much more [into mainstream], so this is probably one of the first big breakthroughs for us," Byrd said.
The line includes 15 different straps featuring several designs that include a specially designed logo for Penthouse's music-inspired line: a devil-girl silhouette above the slogan, "Rock Your Fantasies."
"We wanted to be sure we stuck to the core of what Penthouse is, which is beautiful women and adult content," Byrd said, "but we wanted to not scare away any of [Perri's] buyers who sell to mainstream, such as Guitar Center and Sam Ash, and be sure to projecting an image that they would find acceptable."
The final result was designs featuring a collage of the year's Penthouse magazine covers, a lightning bolt, checkerboard and a few sexier, but completely PG-rated, straps. Byrd also said that Penthouse also has plans to launch a line of branded guitars, amplifiers and possibly other accessories for enthusiasts.
"I'm a big believer in offering buyers as many products to create a presence in their stores as possible," Byrd said.
For wholesale information, visit Perris.ca.
