BuzzFeed launches vibrator in bid to become ‘internet authority’ on sex and wellness

The new product claims to ‘completely reinvent the sex toy’

The BuzzFeed AirVibe vibrator (BuzzFeed/Bellesa)

The online media group BuzzFeed has launched a vibrator as part of a new initiative to become an “internet authority” on sex and wellness.

Named the BuzzFeed AirVibe, the toy is described as a “labour of love, and a feat in pleasure product engineering that completely reinvents the sex toy.”

Small and discrete, the toy comes in a clamshell carry case and is both portable and waterproof.

“AirVibe's Pleasure Jets utilise our strongest, purest and quietest negative pressure suction waves ever,” as well as incorporating “g-spot targeting technology”, it claims.

The surprising pivot for the media company forms part of a “newly expanded strategic partnership” with sex toy manufacturer and porn company Bellesa, a long-time advertising partner which aims to capture “real, unscripted sex”, with “no fake orgasms, ever” for women.

According to Nilla Ali, senior vice-president of commerce at BuzzFeed, the category of sex toys in the company’s affiliate business has grown significantly over the past year.

In a statement, she says that the media site has also had over 150 million views to content specifically related to sex toys in the past year, at the same time as the country went into lockdown and the term “sex” hit the top five user search terms on the web throughout the entire year.

As a result, the publisher is launching a new Sex and Love vertical in the first quarter of 2021.

The news follows an initiative between the two companies that saw them give away thousands of vibrators across the US and Canada earlier this year, along with over $2m in gift cards.

“We really want to ensure that we are establishing ourselves as a credible authority in the sex and wellness space and if we can go out to market with a product and a partnership with one of the most well known players, that achieves that goal for us, especially as we launch this new vertical,” Ali said.

She added that BuzzFeed, “couldn’t be more thrilled to partner with a company whose empowering mission is so aligned with our audience’s values.”

“BuzzFeed has been one of Bellesa's most exciting partnerships since we launched Bellesa Boutique in 2018; constantly pushing boundaries together,” said Bellesa CEO and founder Michelle Shnaidman.

“We are thrilled to be launching our most innovative piece of sex tech yet in the AirVibe and to be doing so with our close friends at BuzzFeed. There are big things ahead for this partnership,” she said.

The sex toy retails at $59 (£45) and is now available to purchase at Bellesa Boutique, with international shipping available.