Porn-Themed The Sex Factor Blows Broadcast for Digital

When the creators of The Sex Factor—a reality competition show that searches for America's next top porn stars—decided to go ahead with their idea, they didn't even consider going to networks like HBO, Cinemax or Playboy TV. When you want to sell sex these days, you have to go where the audience is—and that means going digital. "The entire play is viral," The Sex Factor producer Jon (who asked his last name be withheld) told Adweek. "That means it's got to be open and free on the Web. It's the kind of thing we want people to watch and share." The Sex Factor is similar to American Idol, but instead of singing for stardom, contestants will be clamoring for $1 million and the chance to film a sex scene with notorious Duke porn star Belle Knox. And, they'll be mentored by adult industry veterans Tori Black, Lexi Belle, Remy LaCroix and Keiran Lee, all of whom have huge online followings. "I never put my phone down," LaCroix said. "I personally like to express myself through tweets and pictures. It gives an introspective into some of my life. I like to be an open book. They see you on camera. They see you do your work stuff, but they want to know what you do during your regular time." The 25-year-old, who won the 2013 AVN Award (the Oscars for porn) for Best New Starlet, is especially excited to impart her knowledge to industry newbies. That includes teaching camera presence, tips on performance and knowing what makes a good scene. "Having sex in your personal life is easy, and you don't have to know what it looks like as long as it feels good. When it's on camera, it's a different story," she said. The digital explosion of porn has been good news for LaCroix, who started out working on Kink.com. While she said she still sells plenty of DVDs, she likes the idea that fans can screenshot their favorite moments and talk to her directly after watching her scenes. "It's a whole different outlet, sharing on the Internet," she said. "It's really good self-promotion. I don’t have a publicist or anything." The plan doesn’t stop with streaming the show online, Jon pointed out. The Sex Factor will leverage the power of social media to interact with the audience. People interested in being on the show can apply (or nominate their friends) by tweeting @Thesxfactor with the hashtag #IWantToSeeYouInPorn. The formal audition process will be announced on Twitter in the upcoming weeks. During the show itself, fans will be able to vote online on everything from who wins the show to the contestants' porn names. Jon says the strategy is already working, with the Web series sizzle reel picking up steam and people already tweeting their interest. It hopes to cast in August and is talking with online distribution platforms to air the show in the fall. The male and female winners will be announced at the AVN Awards in January 2015. "We want to create the world’s most interactive pop culture adult brand," Jon explained.

Performance Marketing

Porn-Themed The Sex Factor Blows Broadcast for Digital

When your cast is adult industry stars, it only makes sense to go online

Michelle Castillo

About

Subscriptions

Events

Publications

WORK SMARTER - LEARN, GROW AND BE INSPIRED.

Subscribe today!

Michelle Castillo