“The Shark and Chickie designs were so cute and fit our style perfectly.”

When Emojibator began launching emoji-inspired sex toys, it represented an unusual mix of cute and sexy. But success has proven the team right, and now, they are expanding beyond the fruit/vegetable mould with their latest products, Shark and Chickie, combining playful design and sophisticated technology. Joe Vela, CEO of Emojibator (on the right in the picture above), shines a spotlight on the two new products in our EAN interview.

A shark and a chicken have been the inspiration for the latest Emojibators. Why did you choose those animals?
Joe Vela: We wanted to expand beyond our fruit/vegetable emoji product line as well as design products with innovative new features, like suction and inflation technologies. We worked with a ton of different emoji concepts, but the Shark and Chickie designs were so cute and fit our style perfectly.

You’ve labelled both new additions to your collection as luxury toys and they are also a bit more pricey than your previous vibrators. Are you aiming at another audience with these new toys?
Yes and no. We think that our existing customers who are ready to purchase a USB powered toy with more functions will love these cute vibes too! We also hope these will get Emojibator into the bedside drawers of some of the more serious sex toy connoisseurs as well as high-end stores that may have not considered our fruit emoji product line.

Let’s talk a bit more about the inner values of Shark and Chickie since both offer more functions than just normal vibration. What makes them stand out in this regard?
Both of these toys use air pump technology as well as 8-frequency vibration. The Shark Emojibator has dual vibrators on each fin and an air inflation stimulator and the Chickie Emojibator is a clitoral and external vibrator with suction technology. I have yet to see a suction toy as powerful as the Chickie!

Your products are of course fully functional sex toys despite their cute and funny look. How do you keep a balance between the cuteness and the functionality? Aren’t you afraid that the consumer will see them as just a gimmick?
I actually hope that these toys are looked at as novelty because that’s exactly what they are: new or unusual in an interesting way. I want people to be charmed by the cuteness of our toys, but at the end of the day, our customers are telling their friends about a high-quality vibrator that they enjoy.

In order to promote the Emojibator brand, you did an interesting stunt last summer, called “Sex with Strangers”. What did you do and how did you come up with the idea?
Sex With Strangers was our NYC candid interview show. We set out to further our mission of destigmatising masturbation by talking to unsuspecting people in the streets of Brooklyn and did it in our very own way. We touched upon sex toys, masturbation habits, “booty calls,” and how emojis are used in people’s sex lives. I wore a banana suit for the entire show! Watch: youtu.be/9MpPurQDjzw

The market for sex toys and erotic products is getting more crowded by the day. What does it take today to stand out and get noticed?
As with any business, determination, passion, and adaptability will set you apart. I’d love for any aspiring entrepreneur to know that if you believe in what you’re creating, no one can stop you.

When will Shark and Chickie be available in Europe and how much will they cost?
The Shark and Chickie began shipping from our warehouse on Dec 4. We invite all of our European partners to place wholesale orders now so that your readers can easily get Emojibators in their hands.

Where can retailers buy your products in Europe? Are you working together with distributors?
We’ve yet to roll out to European retailers and are distributing independently, but our door is open for sales.

Which emoji is next on your list?
We happen to know about an upcoming launch of brand new emojis. It’s a secret and you’ll have to stay tuned in to find out!