Since the 1970s, Ann Summers, the UK retailer company specialising in pleasure, has been the first to say “sex is for you too”. Now in its first work with creative agency, JOAN, it is taking an unexpected creative approach. The new campaign shifts the narrative around the meaning of pleasure in 2025.
“At Ann Summers, we believe there is power in pleasure,” stated Maria Hollins, CEO of Ann Summers. “With our new Life is foreplay campaign, we’re inviting people to rethink foreplay – not just as a physical prelude to sex, but as a vital part of emotional and intimate connection. From playful moments to meaningful gestures, foreplay is where imagination meets sensation. We want to break down outdated taboos, spark honest conversations, and empower people to explore new ways of connecting. Because foreplay isn’t a nice-to-have – it’s essential. And when people feel confident and curious, their sex lives become more satisfying, more joyful, and more fun.”
Freed from models and prescriptive definitions of what’s sexy, Life is foreplay prompts people to imagine themselves in moments of pleasure. The provocative campaign celebrates imagination and everyday moments of pleasure through tactile, suggestive visuals – from lace underwear dangling on a chandelier to a butt and handprint on a sofa.
“Ann Summers has always been a cultural provocateur, bringing sex to the high street to boldly say, ‘sex is for women too’,” added Kirsty Hathaway, executive creative director at JOAN London. “But as the cultural conversation around sex and pleasure has shifted, so too has Ann Summers’ ambition. Now, it’s modernising its role to become the cultural authority on female pleasure, all with a wry smile and the wit embedded in the brand’s DNA. In doing so, Ann Summers is igniting a conversation that matters far beyond the bedroom.”
JOAN created the work from its London office in partnership with Parkview Productions, a female-founded production company that produced the images with photographer, Zoe McConnell, and CrossMedia for media planning and buying.
Credits:
Client: Ann Summers
Creative Agency: JOAN London
CEO: Maria Hollins
Creative Director: Jo Ridley
Designer: Veronica Law
Artworker: Ewan Jones
Project Manager & Producer: Rianna Joseph
Business Director: Nikki Melville
Executive Creative Director: Kirsty Hathaway
Strategist: Izzy Whiteley
Strategy Director: Flora Joll
Photographer: Zoe McConnell
Production: Park View Creative
Executive Producer: Rachel Dyson
Producer: Madeleine Valder
Lighting Tech: Carissa Harrod
Digi Op: Nick Graham
Set Designer: Nicholas Rogers
Retoucher: Sipke Visser
VFX: Garth Lee Vickers
Media Agency: CrossMedia
