FLATIRON DISTRICT — A home decor company has found a way to expand Donald Trump’s brand: Condoms.
The novelty condom line from Flatiron District-based company Fishs Eddy, featuring an image of Trump with the catchphrase "I’m Huuuuge!," launched in December 2015 — and immediately started flying off the shelves.
The company, which teamed with condom manufacturer SayItWithACondom.com to make the gag gift, said it sold 1,400 during the holiday season last year. They ship the product to 12 countries and currently sell more than 800 condoms a month, without seeing any decline in demand, said owner Julie Gaines.
"It’s been a runaway hit, that’s for sure," Gaines said. “People get the joke and that’s why they buy it. They don’t buy it because it’s an homage to him."
Gaines says the inspiration for the package design came after Trump "started mouthing off [the word] ‘huge’ every five minutes." The pro-Hillary Clinton company couldn’t resist cashing in on the Trump phenomenon, while also mocking the GOP candidate.
"We’ve always been political, but it’s at a whole new level this year," Gaines said. "We are very, very much for Hillary and we make that very clear. The only time we do Trump products is when we’re trying to get our two cents in, not to promote him."
With the 2016 Presidential election in its final days, companies across the country have been pushing out creative novelty items as a way to voice their thoughts about the candidates.
The “I’m Huuuuge!” condom isn’t the first time Trump has inspired sex paraphernalia. Trump blow-up sex dolls, Trump butt plugs and Trump-themed porn are just a few of the items you can find at city sex stores.
“We’ve sold a few Trump blow-up dolls,” said Eliyaa L., an assistant manager at sex toy megastore the Pleasure Chest in West Village, who declined to give her full last name. “I would say it’s for satire or political relief.”
Hallie Lieberman, a sex toy historian at the University of Wisconsin, said sex toys have been used as political statements for centuries.
“This is not a new phenomenon,” Lieberman said. “I think they should be made to use political statements because they’re harmless, as opposed to making a political statement that is actually dangerous. Sex is coming from a positive place.”
Considering past elections have inspired the Sarah Palin-inspired porno "Who's Nailin' Paylin?" and the President Obama dildo, Lieberman said the Trump-inspired condom was just another election season souvenir.
“Putting candidates on condoms has been a thing for a while,” Lieberman said.
Fishs Eddy has plans to discontinue the condom after the election.
“We think the Trump phenomenon is going to go away pretty fast, so we’re just riding this storm," Gaines said. "We’re not thinking of keeping it around forever.”
