Start sex on the right key

Forget chocolates or roses this Valentine’s Day — a gift of musical condoms is bound to be more entertaining.

Hong Kong’s Ondo Creation, which makes designer condoms, hopes its Idom sheathes will put a more romantic spin on safe sex — and reduce the risk of a slap on the face that a pack of six might elicit among some conservative Asians.

The Idom itself doesn’t sing — but the mint, strawberry, chocolate and banana flavoured condoms come in an attractive package with a music CD to get you in the mood for love. “We create an environment for lovers who would like to try a different experience,” said Victor Tsang who runs Ondo Creation. “We try to create products that are not embarrassing, but very trendy and hip. It’s a lifestyle product,” he added.

Cynics may scoff at the marketing gloss, but the 18 month start-up’s products sell across the world. The firm also won a bronze medal in the Industrial Design Excellence Awards run in conjunction with BusinessWeek magazine, which said Ondo had managed to ‘revitalise the image of condoms’.

Tsang, a former IT executive, says his product was inspired by a desire to promote safe sex and to provide a fun, relaxed alternative for what he calls ‘more conservative’ customers.

The brand eschews regular prophylactic distributors, instead peddling its wares in bookstores, record shops and trendy nightspots in a long list of cities that includes Hong Kong, London, Paris, Stockholm, Amsterdam, Tokyo and Singapore. “We’re targeting more lifestyle stores, rather than 7-11’s and pharmacies,” said Tsang. “There’s a market gap in the condom industry that we may be able to make fun — and also penetrate,” said Tsang who expected a 30 percent surge in sales ahead of Valentine’s Day.

The Idom’s Exotica, Chocotasy and Loveberry brands come with CD compilations of chillout, acid jazz and dance music. reuters

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