The secrets behind how Anne Summers creates new award-winning sex toys

Ann Summers is all about pleasure, and in 2022 you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who hasn’t heard of the award-winning lingerie and sex toy brand.

Since launching in 1970, Ann Summers has grown significantly from its humble beginnings.

The brand’s most popular sex toy, the Rampant Rabbit vibrator, was created in the mid-1990s and popularized by its appearance on a 1998 episode of Sex and the City (Miranda introduced Charlotte to the toy and after she becomes a recluse because of how good she is – something many of us can relate to).

More than two million units of the iconic toy are now sold each year, and Ann Summers has every version of the toy imaginable, from rotating, stroking and G-spot thrusting to an ultra-quiet version so you can your self-infatuation.

But with such success around one toy, how do they manage to keep the good vibes going more than 50 years later? Surely after being in business for so long, coming up with new ways to make us hit the big O diminishes, right?

wrong As Ann Summers has just launched The U swing sex toy and a whole new range, MyViv, we spoke to the team about how they continue to create brand new sex toys that promise to give their users the kinds of orgasms they’ve had. never before.

According to the sex toy design team at Ann Summers, work on toy concepts can begin up to a year in advance, but some ideas can take much longer to develop.

“A great example of this was The U, which has a unique patented design that’s shaped to rock, not penetrate, and a unique technology to superimpose pleasure and build an intense orgasm,” a representative for Ann Summers tells Metro.co. UK.

“There are customers who prefer non-penetrating toys, and The U’s innovation will really change the offering for those customers.”

While most of us will know about clit-stimulating toys like bullets and penetrating toys like the Rampant Rabbit, Ann Summers’ The U doesn’t focus on any of the classic design aspects.

Instead, the toy is pressed against the entire vulva area with hands positioned on the inside and a “clitoral cushion.” The new device offers a “layered orgasm” that, as described in The U’s “explorer’s guide,” is “not rushed” and can be much more intense and satisfying by letting the sensations build slowly.

“When it comes to creating a new type of sex toy, we look at trends, innovation, texture, usability and ultimately how it delivers sexual pleasure,” the team explains.

“We take design cues and ideas from all sorts of sources, from inspiration shopping, trend forecasting, past sales data and information from our supplier base, especially from the interior/engine side.”

In a bid to boost the toy’s impact (orgasm-wise), Anne Summers has also worked with gynecologists on her latest range – one that also raises money for charity.

“We started working with Breast Cancer Now in 2019 and are incredibly proud of our MyViv range, a specialist range of sexual health toys and products designed to support women to improve their sexual health wherever they are on the journey to cancer,” Anne Summers’ spokesperson told us.

The MyViv range includes toys that work with more pleasure receptors than a traditional vibrator to help achieve orgasm – the MyViv Ultimate Pleasure Vibrator features three arms designed to stimulate the clitoris and vulva for powerful sensations.

If, like us, you’re looking at how ‘up and where do I put it?’, it’s very much about what you like – and for Ann Summers, how a toy feels is a major part of the design process .

And before you ask – yes, Anne Summers has a community of “sex toy testers”… and you can sign up too.

The company representative explains: “We have a fantastic, highly engaged loyalty program called Fann Summers, and we use feedback from them, as well as exclusive user testing and data, to get a clear user picture to market.

“Fann Summers members can sign up to test new launches, which really helps us get credible reviews and feedback that will help customers when choosing a toy for themselves.”

It’s clear that even after 50 years, Ann Summers isn’t about to rely on the classics to get by…and will continue to find new ways to rip you off.

This article contains affiliate links. We will earn a small commission for purchases made through one of these links, but this never affects our expert opinions. Products are tested and reviewed independently of commercial initiatives.

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