JOAN London has launched “Life is foreplay”, its debut work for Ann Summers, which sees the original disruptor defining pleasure as playful, suggestive and for you.Ann Summers, the brand that first brought sex to the high street, is redefining its meaning of what pleasure means in 2025. Partnering with creative agency, JOAN London, the brand’s new platform “Life is foreplay” marks an important moment for Ann Summers modernising its position as the UK’s leading authority on female pleasure.
Since the 1970s, Ann Summers has been the first to say ‘sex is for you too’. Now, the brand is taking the next step and championing that women deserve peak pleasure too.
This reframe sees pleasure not as a performance or as a (hopeful) by-product of sex, but as the main event. “Life is foreplay” shifts the narrative to say that sexual pleasure doesn’t just happen when a woman is desired, but when she connects to herself. Leaving the rest to your imagination.
While Ann Summers already has high consumer awareness, the new platform is part of a strategy to modernise its cultural relevance and consumer consideration among both nostalgic older customers and potential new Gen Z audiences.
The creative takes an unexpected approach. There are no models, no overt perceptive depiction of what’s sexy; it’s up to the audience to imagine themselves there. The campaign celebrates imagination and everyday moments of pleasure through tactile, suggestive visuals, such as a simple pair of lacy knickers dangling from a chandelier, or a bum and hand print on a sofa.
This is a bold new creative direction for Ann Summers: playful, provocative, and cheeky with a small ‘c’. Despite culture feeling more sex positive than ever, new YouGov research commissioned by JOAN London shows that women are still starved of sexual satisfaction. Over a third of British women struggle to reach peak pleasure, and half of British women say their daily mood is directly affected by their sexual experiences.
Having identified a real need for putting female pleasure first, the campaign is aimed at 25-35-year-old women (with a secondary target audience of 35-45-year-old women).
Going beyond advertising, the work is a cultural reframe. “Life is foreplay” brings conversations about women’s pleasure into the mainstream: tackling a taboo, celebrating the erotic relationships women have with themselves, and highlighting the importance of female sexual satisfaction. Something Ann Summers has always been famed for.
Maria Hollins, CEO of Ann Summers, said: “At Ann Summers, we believe there is power in pleasure. 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.”
Kirsty Hathaway, Executive Creative Director at JOAN London, explains: “Ann Summers has always been a cultural provocateur – bringing sex to the high street to boldly say, ‘sex is for women too’. 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”.
The campaign launched on the 20th of October as OOH, in stores, and across the Ann Summers ecosystem.
JOAN London created the work with Parkview Productions, a female-founded production company that produced the images with photographer Zoe McConnell, and CrossMedia for media planning and buying.
It is the first campaign and creative platform for Ann Summers created by JOAN London, who recently won the brand’s account following a competitive pitch.
