A sexy new TV advert for The Official Fifty Shades of Grey Pleasure Collection has been launched by Lovehoney. The 30-second post-watershed ad is aimed at the 60 million buyers of the erotic books – and urges viewers to ‘let the fantasy become the reality this Valentine’s Day.’ The black-and-white commercial, shot in slow motion, features sex toys and soft bondage products from the best-selling range - the only one approved by Fifty Shades author E L James. Lovehoney – Britain’s biggest online sex toy retailer – launched the collection last year. The new ad is being shown on Channel Five, ITV2, E4 and other digital channels and the earliest it will be shown is 10.10pm Lovehoney co-founder Richard Longhurst said: “Fifty Shades of Grey is the best known name in erotica and sex toys. “We wanted to present the products in the mainstream media in a way that has not been done before and show how the range is the perfect way to enjoy Valentine’s Day. “We shot the ad in black and white to reflect the ambiance of the books. “I think we have created an advert that is sumptuous looking, exciting and a bit of a tease.” Longhurst said this new ad was specifically targeted at adult audiences. He said: “We are being very careful. We only want to show it at night in appropriate programmes for adults." It is the first time Lovehoney has advertised on TV in 18 months. Longhurst said that Fifty Shades of Grey presented an obvious opportunity. He said: "Fifty Shades has made sex toys and soft bondage a lot more acceptable to the public and retailers. The books were huge last summer and, with Valentine's approaching, this seemed like the right time to come back with a second push and remind potential buyers that these products are out there. "When we advertised on TV before, we had to tell viewers the Lovehoney name and then explain what it does. "Fifty Shades of Grey provides an instant short-cut to recognition. The viewer immediately knows that it is sex related. "What we are saying is, 'Come to Lovehoney' in a way we have not able to do before. "Other online retailers, say in beauty, can use a big brand like Chanel on TV adverts to drive customers to their sites. We can do the same using Fifty Shades - it is the first internationally known sex brand that we have been able to use in this way. "We can uniquely advertise that Lovehoney is where you can buy the Official Fifty Shades Collection. "It gives us a crucial advantage over some High Street competitors who are trying to trade off the Fifty Shades name without having any official products. E L James worked closely with Lovehoney in the development of the range. She said: “This is the range I imagined while I was writing Fifty Shades of Grey. I’m so excited that the toys I described in the books have come to life and can now be enjoyed around the world.” It is the first TV ad for any commercial product officially licensed by the Fifty Shades team. The commercial was produced by agency The Response Team in partnership with ABF Pictures. Dominic Benton, managing director of The Response Team, said: “We wanted to make the products people had read about in the books as sexy and glamorous as possible. We're delighted with the final result.”
