Hot Octopuss, the boundary-pushing pleasure products company, has launched a new website that aims to increase inclusivity in the sex toy industry by hosting truly accessible content for all. The new site, offering ‘Pleasure For Every Body’, includes a ‘non-binary button’ that gives site users the option to remove all gendered terminology.
Created in collaboration with global PR firm Manifest, the site’s new features include:
● An ‘Accessible Sex’ section catering for those with disabilities, health issues or sexual concerns such as erectile dysfunction and painful penetration;
● A ‘Senior Sex’ section offering toys for an older market;
● The first-of-its-kind non-binary button allowing visitors to remove all gendered terms (e.g. ‘men’s toys’ and ‘women’s toys’) across the site;
● A trans and non-binary section, created in collaboration with trans-led, UK-based sexual health service cliniQ (cliniq.org.uk), that discusses ways Hot Octopuss products may work for trans and non-binary people during and after transition.
“When we launched our company back in 2013, our mission was to fill a gap in the market for penis toys and to reduce the stigma around male masturbation,” says Adam Lewis, cofounder and CEO of Hot Octopuss. “However, as we became more aware of our older customers and those with disabilities and health conditions, we realized that there was near-silence in the industry and media around sex in relation to these audiences. We were also contacted by some trans and non-binary reviewers who said our gendered approach to marketing products excluded them. As a result, we reviewed both our mission and our approach to production and marketing.”
Julia Margo, cofounder and COO of Hot Octopuss, adds “Our new site is a work in progress, and we invite feedback from all of our customers on ways it can be improved — we know we are just at the beginning in terms of becoming a truly inclusive brand. We also hope the site launch will encourage conversations within the industry on inclusivity and encourage other companies to look at their marketing language.”
The new site is also fully compatible with WCAG 2.1, the international accessibility standard for websites.
