Durex, which is owned by SSL International, earned nearly $25 million in sex toy sales, a 9 percent increase over last year’s totals.
Durex said a vibrating penis ring, a spaceship-shaped stimulator and a “tingle” condom helped drive the strong sales.
SSL CEO Garry Watts said Durex plans to launch a slew of new adult novelty products in the coming year, adding that a TV ad throughout Great Britain should help bring the company’s message to a broader audience.
The TV ad features a man proposing to a woman. Instead of the standard engagement ring, the man offers the woman a vibrating ring.
The ad will only run after 11 p.m., according to a decision by government regulators, who Watts called “daft,” adding that the ad is “very tasteful.”
“People are pretty open these days about their sex lives and media advertising is not entirely new, but what is new is putting an old-fashioned brand which denotes trust and quality behind it,” Watts said.