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Comments: 122 • Responses: 42  • Date: 

yasminge63 karma

Do you have a creative name for your own junk?

BrassBonanza1 karma

I guess this is a good time to talk about the "dude" aspect of the job. If I didn't work doing this, I would assume the people behind all this stuff are pervy, bro-like dudes. It's actually quite the opposite...from designers to PR people, everyone here is super chill about what they do--it's easy to weed out the "junk namers" in the interview process. That said, no name for the junk. Sorry, friends.

yasminge1 karma

Don't worry, I'm sure a kindly redditor will be more than happy to assign one for you.

BrassBonanza1 karma

I don't doubt that...let's see what you've got.

MSTFFA29 karma

What are some of your favorite names you've come up with that were rejected?

Manticorp8 karma

'BrassBonanza'

BrassBonanza2 karma

I really, really, really liked the name Beaivi, an ancient Nordic sun goddess. It was too difficult to read/pronounce however.

BrassBonanza-14 karma

I have those all stored away in a notebook. Looking through old notes is a good inspiration.

CuriousMrE22 karma

Are you going to share any of these?

[deleted]-22 karma

[deleted]

bigolpete23 karma

So no real answer, and an advertisement. Cool AMA.

BrassBonanza-12 karma

Well in all honesty, I didn't mean for it to come off like that. Would copying and pasting 20 products and product descriptions make it easier for you?

sli6 karma

...that were rejected?

Names of products that are being sold would be the opposite of "rejected."

BrassBonanza16 karma

Oh shit, misread that question. Totally deserved those negative points. Thanks for the clarification, sil. I guess the names that I really, really liked that got shot down, I'm keeping for a rainy day. Sorry again for the confusion.

jesusbot27 karma

Proof?

BrassBonanza1 karma

Here's a video of us at the Design Art and Fashioin Fair in Shanghai: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVq2SnRCTok

thunderofguns26 karma

Do you plan to answer more than 1 question?

BrassBonanza14 karma

Sorry. Just got in from dinner, I'm in Shanghai right now.

Princess_LadyFart18 karma

What are the top three product names that you are most proud of?

BrassBonanza52 karma

I really like our tagline for our light bondage accessory series (blindfold, choker, whip, teaser, handcuffs): NOT FOR THE CLOTHES-MINDED

theothereve12 karma

I know parents can be uneasy when it comes to situations like this so I'm curious, how do yours react? Do they ever ask you "How has work been?"?

BrassBonanza17 karma

I answered this question on an AMA. I kinda let my parents find out on their own by sending them articles I had written. The first one I sent them was about The Benefits of Prostate Massage ( http://www.lelo.com/news/five-questions-about-the-benefits-of-prostate-massaging ) I knew that the article was tasteful and health-based and figured once they were on the site they would figure it out and realized it was actually quite a tasteful job. They're moderately conservative, but cool people, but they rarely ask me about work other than "how is it." My Mom prefers to tell people that I'm a freelance writer.

kraptnkrunch11 karma

What are some of the weirdest inspirations for names you've had?

BrassBonanza18 karma

I just sit down with a pad and paper old school style and start scribbling. If I get stuck, I'll google something weird like "Greek Mythological Creatures"

ringinginmyear9 karma

Does your job involve anything else other than giving names to sex toys?

BrassBonanza12 karma

Naturally, yes. There are only so many products you can name. I write a few articles a week about sexual health, sex tips, relationship advice, sexting tips, sex games. I also write lots of ads, press releases, sales letters to retailers, etc. Tomorrow, I'll have two articles published: One on tips for being alone on Valentine's Day and another on sexting advice. The last article I wrote was on winter sex tips...if you're interested, here's the link: http://www.picobong.com/en/news-feed.php?id=245

Kaesetorte8 karma

are you one of those guys that writes cosmo sex tips?

BrassBonanza2 karma

Kinda...but I get to be a little bit more creative. Here is an article I wrote about sex games with ice. Naming the sex moves was pretty fun: http://www.picobong.com/en/news-feed.php?id=199

frozenbrogurt9 karma

How did you get into the business of sex toy naming?

BrassBonanza19 karma

I started off in the TV/Film/Broadway business and then landed a gig writing for a Love Coach and Life Coach mobile device product. I used to write those commercials you see on MTV and Comedy Central that go, "FOR LOVE ADVICE TEXT LOVE TO 21222!!!!"

Shadow_strike427 karma

Are your suggestions final or does somebody else decide?

BrassBonanza6 karma

Naturally, there is a bureaucratic process involved, but we have an absurd amount of creative freedom.

NEED_A_JACKET7 karma

Are you mad that you didn't come up with 'Fleshlight'? That's surely the best in the sex toy naming game. If it isn't, what do you think is the best named in the industry (one you named or not).

BrassBonanza6 karma

Fleshlight actually sponsored the XBIZ Awards this year, yes, they certainly are a huge name. This isn't exactly a sex toy, but as far as naming goes, have you ever heard of the She-nis? It's like a cup/funnel girls put over their vagina so they can piss like a guy out of their zipper.

DaveSheep6 karma

Is it awkward to explain what you do on first dates?

BrassBonanza16 karma

No, not at all...it's actually the ice breakers of all ice breakers and leaves no room for awkward silence.

hannahepick21 karma

[deleted]

BrassBonanza19 karma

I actually had a guy at a bar once recently ask me if I was a bullshitting pickup artist because he overheard me telling girls what my job was.

IAMACornyJoke6 karma

Have you ever looked at a toy and thought, "That's a big fucker" (Pun intended)

BrassBonanza15 karma

Last night I was at a sex shop in Shanghai and saw a 2 foot interracial dildo, half black and half white. (I'll leave the forthcoming joke to one of you.)

spilled_fishguts6 karma

Why are you in China right now? Do you have any creative names for made for china products?

BrassBonanza1 karma

I actually came here for a travel writing job in Beijing, but when I got this offer in Shanghai, I couldn't pass it up. A Chinese writer translates all names, product descriptions, etc. Here's the Chinese site: http://www.picobong.com.cn/

deadpassions6 karma

[deleted]

BrassBonanza25 karma

I would say that sex knows no race or gender.

MikeySmashCorpse5 karma

Do you ever test the products out to find inspiration for the name?

BrassBonanza14 karma

When I had to come up with names for the bondage gear, for instance, the designer and I went into a room and tried everything on (with clothes on), hitting each other with the whip, etc. I thought it looked and felt really space-agey and since it was a beginners bondage set, I went with "Evilution" as the series name as the stuff seemed like a way for curious beginners to evolve in the bedroom.

MakeMoves5 karma

did you work hand in hand (intended) with the dildo engineer guy?

BrassBonanza11 karma

No. The only thing I know about him is his name.

MakeMoves5 karma

im guessing brass bonanza is your highest selling creation thus far?

BrassBonanza10 karma

If anyone knows what Brass Bonanza is without Googling, kudos to you.

MakeMoves7 karma

im at work so, a little hesitant to goog that

BrassBonanza7 karma

It's a song.

Tallapoosa_Snu3 karma

It's a dong.

BrassBonanza1 karma

That's just wrong.

Contrebis4 karma

Can you give a good estimation of what you make? I'm actually pretty curious..

BrassBonanza7 karma

I make around 6 times the average Chinese persons salary.

Smallfry_Ns11 karma

50-55k ish for those interested.

Source: math

BrassBonanza1 karma

Not that high.

MpVpRb4 karma

Is the "Rear Admiral" buttplug one of yours?

BrassBonanza15 karma

No, but this does bring back memories. Me and another guy wrote an ad for John McCain condoms during the 2008 election where we used the line "Whether you're in a full frontal assault or sludgin' through the mud as rear admiral..."

Good times.

djmoody904 karma

Have you ever heard of any lawsuits where companies like yours sue each other for similar sex-toy names?

Now that is a litigation I wouldn't mind watching.

BrassBonanza6 karma

Yes, naturally these lawsuits are going on all the time...mostly due to design though, not names. LELO tends to set the industry trends and everyone pretty much copies them on everything from product colors to packaging.

Poke4933 karma

Is it weird coming up with these names?

BrassBonanza2 karma

I love the challenge and pressure of trying to come up with something witty--whether its a sex toy product description or the title of a travel article. I take it personal and get hard on myself to deliver something that is undeniably good.

Unoriginal_Flow3 karma

What percentage of your consumers are female?

BrassBonanza6 karma

around 80%

Pedras913 karma

What is your "inspiration" for the names?

BrassBonanza5 karma

I just let my mind race where it will and stop it when I think I'm onto something.

_haha_2 karma

I also had this job for about a year. It was officially a graphic design gig, but the company was small so I ended up doing this as well. About 10-15 products I named went through to world-wide production.

Not the proudest time in my career.

BrassBonanza1 karma

What was the company?

zerocoke1 karma

Which toy is your favorite and why?

BrassBonanza1 karma

There's a dildo you strap onto your heel so you can penetrate yourself with your foot. It's called the Heel-do.

zerocoke1 karma

And why is it your favorite?

BrassBonanza1 karma

Do you get the pun?

zerocoke1 karma

Heel-do is like dildo. I get that. But anything deeper I'm missing.

BrassBonanza1 karma

The dildo comes with a strap that you strap onto your heel so when you lay down you can lift your knee and move your foot back and forth to penetrate yourself.

Boring_Machine1 karma

What are some things you'reworking on?

BrassBonanza1 karma

An anal series and a masturbation cup. Right now, I'm finishing up an article on how to have Valentine's Day on a budget.

Rooseveltspelts1 karma

[deleted]

BrassBonanza1 karma

Ya, there seems to be an influx of childish looking and sounding toys of recent. One company, I can't think of the name, has characters that look exactly like the Busy World of Richard Scarry characters on their boxes. That kinda freaked me out a little. Kaya is the rabbit we went with. It's tagline is "WHO NEEDS A HONEY IF YOU CAN GET FUNNY WITH THE BUNNY."

Some of you are making me conscious of posting links as if I'm advertising, but here's the link to Kaya. If you're a brazen anti-consumerist type, just don't click it: http://www.picobong.com/en/product-detail.php?id=27

rewrewsuh1 karma

what is the most ridiculous name you got through to products that would be sold?

BrassBonanza1 karma

The stuff I've done is actually quite tasteful...nothing even remotely close to racy. The ten vibrators from PicoBong are all real Hawaiian names. If I went to the people who approve the names with anything racy, I wouldn't be taken serious.

rewrewsuh1 karma

not bad, i guess. i am a straight male, so i probably won't be buying anything you named, but the possibilities of names were endless, if you weren't the professional that you are.

BrassBonanza1 karma

I don't understand what straightness has to do with whether you use a butt plug or any other sex toy. Using a butt plug and having a super intense orgasm has nothing to do with emotional attachment to the same sex. An awesome sensation is an awesome sensation and it un-gendered. Butt plugs or prostate massagers are made to stimulate the prostate gland and being heterosexual doesn't mean you don't have a prostate gland that would pleasurably react to being stimulated. There are lots of couples products too and any vibrator can be used with a partner. Kinda some old-fashioned thinking on your part...I certainly don't mean to sound condescending, so please forgive me if I do. In short: you don't know til you try!

rewrewsuh1 karma

i am not into anything all that... exciting okay, not yet anyway. my prior statement should be effective for the predictable future... if i change my mind i'll keep this brand in mind.

BrassBonanza1 karma

Yep, I totally understand! Of course it sounds super scary to have anything in your ass, but biology is biology and evolution happened to put the male G-Spot in ass. Lelo makes a product called Billy that is known to be the world's best prostate massager (not a big fan of the name). Prostate massaging, aka "milking the prostate" is super-healthy...and it helps with ED and overall prostate health.