In 2017 at an event in Berlin, I had personally talked with Kris at that time. We did a small interview and it’s posted on TheEoticGuide. As we are rebranding now the website with the new name and new look I was thinking we can do a small update of the interview.
What can you tell us about your signature product?
KF: Our eggplant vibrator tells a clear story about people with vaginas – we don’t need penises to have orgasms.
I think this message is not enforced enough in today’s society, and it is critical to understanding one’s pleasure. We believe our cheeky adorable designs remind people that sex toys are not about phallic shapes and making sure the guy cums.
JV: Made from medical-grade silicone and AAA-battery powered, Emojibator vibrators are the highest quality entry-level toys on the market. When we launched the eggplant emoji vibrator, we were pleasantly surprised with our far-reaching positive reviews, press coverage, and overall embrace from the sex toy world. We made these toys with the intention to not only be funny, but to destigmatize masturbation and get people talking about sex. Today, I think we’ve not only done that, but we’ve encouraged pleasure-focused sex education through our MasturbationMonth.com platform and provided approachable and affordable toys for anyone. My hope is that our Emojibator line of vibrators has shaken up the sex toy industry.
How do you come up with the idea of an eggplant vibrator?
KF: My best friend, and now business partner Joe called me with a wildly simple question: “What about an eggplant emoji vibrator?” I swear I saw dollar signs and heard “cha-ching!” in my mind as soon as he said it, and I was honored he trusted me to bring it to life. Since no one else had pushed the envelope on making high-quality sex toys at affordable prices and adorable designs, I knew we had something special with Emojibator.
JV: Honestly, it was one of those crazy 3 AM ideas. Emojis were gaining ubiquity and I was brainstorming different products that I could sell online while traveling. I encourage anyone looking for a big idea to write down 10 ideas a day. In 10 days you’ll have 100 ideas, and it’s likely a handful of them will be good enough to explore deeper.
We have eggplant, chili pepper, banana what will be next?
KF: We’ve since launched our Pickle, a textured insertable vibrator and Chickie, our dual suction and vibrating travel-friendly rechargeable vibrator. We’ve also debuted the KISSTOY collection of fun USB-vibrators available in the US for the first time through our website. We’re in the process of launching a proprietary lubricant line Phuksaus and other great accessories like a Peach Emoji accessory and an intro-to-shibari rainbow-colored rope!
JV: In February 2020, we visited Tulane University to give a presentation on Mindful Masturbation, Sex Tech, & Sexual Health. When safe to travel and visit college campuses again, I’d love to revisit that.
From where are the new ideas for new shapes coming from?
KF: We pride ourselves on being marketers first, and sex toy entrepreneurs second. And by that I mean we know how to adapt technology to current market needs. I don’t think there’s been a better argument for hilarious looking animal and fruit shaped vibrators in 2020. Everyone needs self-care from pleasure, especially in times of isolation, so we often draw inspiration from how we can better the communities around us.
JV: Inspiration comes from everywhere. I’d like to think that our team pays close attention to burgeoning trends in this space and has a strong intuition about what products people will like. It’s also a goal to astonish people with the products we create. Our Marketing Manager, Maddie, has inspired us to delve into new spaces like BDSM which opened up so many possibilities. At the end of the day, we listen to our customers and develop products with their pleasure in mind.
Anything else you’d like to add?
KF: (What Joe said below is exactly what I wanted to say haha) I am privileged to have never thought about what phallic sex toys must mean to survivors of sexual assault. I know what trauma feels like from other aspects of my life, but sex is so intimate and personal, that healing from a sex-related trauma clearly requires an entirely deeper level of awareness and effort. I was floored to hear from both customers and therapists who desperately need our humorous sex toys to heal their souls and re-engage their sexuality. That alone is enough reason to keep “truckin” as my favorite band the Grateful Dead say.
JV: We received feedback from a handful of customers who were treating or struggling with sexual trauma. Because our products are approachable, light-hearted, and not shaped like realistic genitals, I learned that we were able to help more than one person overcome the sexual abuse that they experienced. I was so touched by this, it reignited our purpose with this company and made me realize that we have already accomplished more than I could have ever imagined.
Kristin Fretz and Joe Vela, Co-founder & CMO of Emojibator