Lion’s Den Reimagines Book Clubs and More in Its Quest to Celebrate Women’s Pleasure

One sex toy retailer and its agency, however, have been working to evolve that perception. Since 2017, women-owned creative agency Fancy has been leading a modern rebrand and inclusive marketing push for Lion’s Den, an Ohio-based, 45-store chain that’s been around since 1971.

The first ad campaign from the new era of Lion’s Den produced sex-positive and women-friendly spots featuring actors who are just as normal and awkward as the rest of us. The campaign encouraged women and couples to “Do it. Every day!”

For the follow-up campaign, launched today, Fancy co-founders Erica Fite and Katie Keating, who were both honored in Adweek’s 2018 Creative 100, wanted to push the everyday nature of sexual pleasure, especially for women and couples, even further.

“If you look at everyday life through that lens, it’s not about perfection,” Fite told Adweek. “It’s about having fun, enjoying yourself, doing something that makes you feel good and healthy and alive–and that’s the lifestyle of Lion’s Den.”

The new spots, ready in time for the holiday season, feature three seemingly everyday scenarios: Stopping at the library for book club, after-dinner cleanup and driving home in a minivan. But the characters manage to sneak in a bit of extra fun. It’s also the first time Fancy’s ads for Lion’s Den have featured a same-sex couple.

“We’ve been working with Fancy for three years to change the perception of our company and make Lion’s Den a top-of-mind destination for women and couples, and the response has been incredible,” Potenzini said in a statement. “We’re confident that this new campaign, which asks people to reconsider every everyday moment as an opportunity for fun and connection, will encourage even more people to feel comfortable shopping at Lion’s Den.”

For Fancy, the work with Lion’s Den remains bigger than just selling products and generating foot traffic. The team also aims to “normalize this whole part of our lives that’s been sort of hidden and shameful in ways for women in the past,” said Keating.

Or as Fite puts it succinctly, “It’s a public service.”

Elements of the campaign will run in broadcast, streaming, digital channels and social.