Anne Mauri presents the iGino one

It becomes apparent at first glance that this product is different from your run-of-the-mill sex toy: The iGino one is a small box, and the way it works only reveals itself once the user takes off the lid on the upper side. Now, a small button becomes visible – a button that not only vibrates, but also moves thanks to the vibraMoove technology. These movements imitate those of a finger, as Anne Mauri explains. She is in charge of PR and communication at the iGino team, and in our interview, she tells us what role sex toys are going to play in the future and why innovation always pays off in the end.

 


At first look, the iGino looks quite unusual for a sex toy. How would you describe your product to somebody who has never seen it?
Anne Mauri: The iGino one is a compact lightweight external vibrator unlike any other. It’s discreet with a distinctive design in white and pink and with a rectangular shape, non-offensive and modern in style. The iGino one was designed with sexual satisfaction in mind, ideal for solo and partner play. The slim design allows the iGino one to be placed perfectly between two bodies in order to provide clitoral stimulation during sex.

Let’s talk about the company behind the product first. Who are the heads behind the iGino? Could you tell us a bit about the history of your team?
The iGino team was born almost by chance. Three friends had an idea: to create a new pleasure technology. The idea was the concept behind our patented vibraMoove tech, a new kind of massage system that can combine vibrations and movements simultaneously to mimic the natural touch and the feel of fingers.

We shared opinions and experiences for days and then we decided to invest in developing it. What spurred us, after a lot of analysis, was the decision to launch our technology in the adult industry, which has traditionally been poor in concrete innovations, and also because our research told us that the sex toy would be become the world’s most popular gadget, capable of overcoming the smartphone market in volume before 2020. We started with a drawing on paper, then we set up a small working team.

We were probably the first start-up that made a crowdfounding campaign for a sex toy on Indiegogo and, after many years and efforts, we have produced and launched our first item: the iGino one. To us, it represents a forerunner to a series of pleasure products that (we hope) will change the way people think of sex toys. Until now, we did everything by ourselves, we are a small group that works from different countries in Europe and recently, we opened up to external collaborations. For instance, there is porn actress Valentina Nappi who loves the iGino one so much that she decided to work with us for the Italian market. For this summer season, we also started a partnership with the website Spicy Match, the best swinging social network in Europe.
We prefer not to appear in public, we believe that people will understand our product and technology without external influences.

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What is the philosophy behind the iGino?
We believe in the power of innovation and we work hard every day with the ambition to became the game changers in the sex toy industry.

Are you selling any other products besides the iGino?
No, actually we only have the iGino one in stock at the moment.

What are the main features you have implemented in the iGino? What sets it apart from other toys?
First of all, an exclusive to the iGino one is the vibraMoove, our brand new patented technology that cannot be found anywhere else. The clever and unique vibraMoove technology combines vibrations and movements to mimic the natural touch and feel of a woman’s fingers, resulting in long lasting and intense pleasure. While other sex toys are shells that vibrate in all their parts, our “engine” pushes all the power to the outside in the nub so your hand won’t be subjected to uncomfortable stresses.

Conceived as a “prêt-à-porter” sex toy, the iGino one is discreet and slim, it has a hygienic cover, a practical and easy to clean lid which ensures it is protected from dust and dirt when not in use. It also allows for the iGino one to be transported easily, making it a perfect travel accessory. It’s light in weight, the style and the shape of it don’t take up too much room and won’t cause any embarrassment if stumbled upon. The skinTouch head is a specially designed ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) sleeve for the nub with a skin-like finish and feel that is warm and soft to the touch. It provides the most intense and powerful sensations, whether you’re a beginner or a veteran looking to go back to basics with the product that quite simply delivers.

Each iGino one comes with a USB charger that allows you to charge up whether you’re in the car, at the office, or at home. It has a built-in USB connector that slides out and is easily accessible, allowing for clutter- and hassle-free charging. And the travel kit included in the box has both a European and US charger so you never need worry about finding the right adapter for your travels. The iGino one also comes with a velvet storage pouch and a USB power adapter with charging cable. The single-most impressive feature, however, is our patented vibraMoove technology that sets this toy apart from any other in the market.

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The iGino was originally released three years, what feedback have you gathered since then? What did the user like most, where were they more sceptical?
We had a lot of positive feedback from press and reviewers all over the world. The iGino one has a big fan in the UK, the famous sex blogger and reviewer Cara Sutra who simply loves it; we even made a branded item for her, and we are very proud of it!

What the users like most: our technology, the discreet design, the USB charger and the travel kit. Points of criticism: Since the iGino one is designed as a high-tech pleasure product, it is splash proof but not waterproof and it’s a bit “noisy”, but you will agree with us that the best sex is when you don’t have to worry about how loud you are…

Your vibraMoove technology was basically designed to emulate the movement of a finger. How does this technology work?
It is common knowledge that clitoral stimulation is created by moving and massaging the genital area. Currently, most products on the market mainly vibrate, they don’t move the contact area but merely make it vibrate, even at very high frequencies, but with no motion, or if there is, it’s close to zero. The vibrations (physical definition) are mechanical oscillations (so non-natural) composed by small wideness and high frequency, generated by pressure waves conveyed through a solid body.

Scientific research shows that people get a more intense experience from a changing stimulus than from a continuous stimulus. Only movement are able to offer these constant changes that the body needs in order to experience long lasting pleasure. With the vibraMoove, our patented technology, we’ve aimed to achieve this level of clitoral stimulation. It combines vibrations with movements that mimic and improve the natural movement of a woman’s finger stimulating herself, and the result is an astonishing and intense pleasure. The iGino one is the first and only product on the market that integrates this innovative technology. Movements and vibrations are directed through its nub at the same time, directly to the parts concerned with pleasure.

We took up the challenge of creating a technology like no other because we understood that pleasure has to do with a double kind of stimulation and although the vibraMoove could be used in different fields and market – aesthetic medicine, wellness, massage therapy, etc. – we decided to launch it in the adult industry because this is the place where people look to improve the level of happiness in their sex life and where companies are striving to find the best solutions to achieve that, because sex is one of the most important elements of our life.

Where can the iGino be bought in Europe right now?
iGino one is now available for European customers from our site, www.i-gino.com thanks to our reseller www.shoppingforlife.net, and we are working to make it available it in the rest of the world.

Do you work with distributors?
Not at this moment, but we are open to considering partnerships.

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How should the iGino be presented in a retail environment for a maximum sales?
It should be presented and explained with a demo unit. Ideally, a shop assistant should demonstrate the power of its nub using it in the palm of the hand and compare it to other external vibrators. Also, we designed a point of sale display with a power gauge to show directly to the customers how powerful it is.

Will there be an iGino 2 in the future?
Yes, there will be a new iGino, but it’s still top secret!

Will there maybe also be something completely different from your company?
We love the iGino and its technology, but yes, we are considering to create something completely different as well.

With new products coming out every day, do you see the danger of being overlooked by the market?
Yes, but in a market where it’s not easy to innovate and where the main products that are coming out every day are more or less the same, we have realised a product with an exclusive technology.

What’s most important to make an innovation stand out?
To make sure that the innovation addresses a human need and serves it in the best way possible.

The iGino is a product whose look and feel are different from most toys on the market today. Do you think that the market needs more unique products like yours, even though their development might be riskier than the “standard” toy?
If you want to be different, you already know that it will be a hard road, but we believe that innovation and new ideas are the future, and the effort is worth it if you’re realising your dreams.

This interview was first published in EAN 11/2015. EAN is free for retailers and other members of the erotic industry. To get your printed copy, click here!