Southern California entrepreneur Kevin Mirarchi can’t stay still for long. After turning Shibari Wands into a fashion-forward brand of bedazzled vibrators and colorful silicone, Mirarchi is re-inventing the buzzing, rumbly wheel with a whole new line of modern sex accessories.
Mirarchi’s eye-catching spin on sexual wellness, called Voodoo Toys, asks consumers, “What if you had complete freedom to play, explore and experience pleasure?”
The Voodoo brand will aim to be part of the larger conversation about sexuality, masturbation, diversity and empowerment, with the stated goal of driving customers to your stores.
Voodoo dives into the sphere of self-love with all the prowess of a marketing scheme that’s been decades in the making. Mirarchi’s keen observations and years of rubbing elbows with the pleasure industry’s greatest has culminated in a brand presence that speaks to anyone with an Instagram habit and a desire to uncover their kinks and climaxes.
While Mirarchi’s brands have always favored bright packaging and a feminine flair, Voodoo adds a modern twist with clean yet artsy product images, inclusive marketing with models of all shapes and races, and emblazoned across the company’s new web page, “masturbation isn’t just a man’s thing.”
For the unfamiliar, Mirarchi started his business based on a model that’s now an industry standard: accessible pleasure and down-to-earth sex-ed.
“After college and the dot-com boom of the early 2000s, I created a safe-sex icon, Condom Man, and he would change my life forever,” he recalls. “Condom Man’s mission, via CondomMan.com, was to “Save the World From High Prices,” provide educational safe-sex resources, and advocate for more comprehensive online sex education.”
Condom Man was ahead of his time in the early 2000s, though now he’d fit in perfectly with the industry’s current state of affairs. Mirarchi recognizes that the old sex toy marketing tactics are finally dead and gone.
“There’s been a seismic shift in the sex toy industry; cultural attitudes towards sex and female sexuality have evolved very rapidly,” Mirarchi reports. “Selling the same products using the same old marketing tactics will produce diminishing returns over the next three to five years. Retail stores absolutely have to adapt to the wants of the new generation of consumers in order to survive and thrive.”
Mirarchi hopes to tap into some of that youthful energy this year with his latest creations. The Voodoo brand line targets a generation that’s grown up on spiritual sexuality, orgasmic freedom, and sex toy trends that scream “yass queen!”
“‘Voodoo’ in this context refers to the mystical and intangible energy of human sexuality. It permeates our daily life and drives how we relate to each other,” says Mirarchi. “I would love our brand to project body positivity and communicate to the customer that masturbation and sex toys are a healthy part of every human’s sexual wellness.”
Voodoo is a millennial’s dream. The line is full of beginner’s essentials, like a basic bullet vibe, a classic Rabbit, and a collection of bedazzled, steel butt plugs, which all sound simple enough — until you get a glimpse at the brand’s expertly-crafted social media content.
Partnered with a blog full of clever, sassy sex-ed and an artfully curated Instagram page, the Voodoo brand skips the inflated “luxury” label and focuses more on the “affordable.” Every toy in the Voodoo family could quite possibly make the perfect beginner’s sex toy, all while maintaining ridiculously affordable price points.
The Good Vibe is a colorful slim vibrator that covers all the bases of partnered, solo, penetrative and external sex. With 20 speeds, it’s hard to beat the Good Vibe as a first-timer’s dream. The Egg-Stastic is a similarly simple clitoral vibe in the vague shape of — you guessed it! — an egg that fits perfectly in your hand.
Along with Voodoo’s launch, Mirarchi has announced a new wholesale plan that puts retailers first and separates the company’s respective Voodoo and Shibari Wands brands. As an Amazon seller and head-strong industry vet, Mirarchi recognizes the challenges created when retail customers and manufacturers are essentially pitted against one another as brick-and-mortar shops struggle to maintain a unique inventory and attractive prices.
“Recognizing this difference, and listening to our customers, I have made the decision to designate Shibari as an Amazon-exclusive brand, while concurrently launching the retail-oriented brand Voodoo,” explains Mirarchi.
“Voodoo will launch with a majority of its lines and products exclusive to adult stores, and will not be available on Amazon,” he says. “The Voodoo brand will aim to be part of the larger conversation about sexuality, masturbation, diversity and empowerment, with the stated goal of driving customers to your stores.”
Mirarchi still holds physical shops in high regard, hence his reason for sparing his loyal customers from the reseller war.
“Adult stores have many permanent advantages,” he says. “They are part of a tight-knit and knowledgeable industry. They have an invested sales staff that understands sex toys, builds rapport with their customer base and provides personalized recommendations.”
What endears Mirarchi to these old-school industry staples are their ability to create sex-positive buzz for locals that no e-boutique can possibly replicate.
“They can become a destination for a group of friends who are out on a Friday night. They’re part of their local community and they advance the conversation about sexuality in their town,” he laments. “All of these things create real value for customers, and is why Adult Stores continue to thrive.”
What unites steadfast retailers, conscious consumers, and observant manufacturers like Shibari is a sense of something beyond the sale. The sex toy industry has shifted to a space where passion, education and evolution reign, and Mirarchi points to his posse for being behind his triumphs all the way.
“Shibari was launched in 2012 and has been such a success for one reason: I’ve surrounded myself with talented, knowledgeable and trustworthy people,” concludes Mirarchi.
“I’d say that’s the most important thing I’ve learned — is that business is truly all about relationships. If you are working with a person or business that you don’t trust, it will cost you in the long run. I’m happy to say that we’ve built some great, lasting business relationships with our awesome customers and partners.”
