The Musical Fruit...

• CONDOMS!
• "Start sex on the right key with musical condoms"
• By James Pomfret
• HONG KONG, Jan 19 - Forget chocolates or roses this
  Valentine's Day" a gift of musical condoms is bound to be more entertaining.
• Hong Kong's Ondo Creation, which makes designer condoms, hopes its Idom sheathes will put a more romantic spin on safe sex -- and reduce the risk of a slap on the face that a pack of six might elicit among some conservative Asians.
• 
  The Idom itself doesn't sing -- but the mint, strawberry, chocolate and banana flavored condoms come in an attractive package with a music CD to get you in the mood for love.
  "We create an environment for lovers who would like to try a different experience," said Victor Tsang who runs Ondo Creation.
• 
  "We try to create products that are not embarrassing, but very trendy and hip. It's a lifestyle product," he added.
• 
  Cynics may scoff at the marketing gloss, but the 18 month start-up's products sell across the world. The firm also won a bronze medal in the Industrial Design Excellence Awards run in conjunction with BusinessWeek magazine, which said Ondo had managed to "revitalize the image of condoms."
• 
  Tsang, a former IT executive, says his product was inspired by a desire to promote safe sex and to provide a fun, relaxed alternative for what he calls "more conservative" customers.
• 
  The brand eschews regular prophylactic distributors, instead peddling its wares in bookstores, record shops and trendy nightspots in a long list of cities that includes Hong Kong, London, Paris, Stockholm, Amsterdam, Tokyo and Singapore.
• 
  "We're targeting more lifestyle stores, rather than 7-11's and pharmacies," said Tsang.
  "There's a market gap in the condom industry that we may be able to make fun -- and also penetrate," said Tsang who expected a 30 percent surge in sales ahead of Valentine's Day.
  The Idom's Exotica, Chocotasy and Loveberry brands come with CD compilations of chillout, acid jazz and dance music.
• 
  "The music starts slow, then medium, then becomes fast before getting slow again," said Jack Wong, who helped with the music.
• 
  He shrugs off the fact that the CDs run for exactly 18 minutes: "Whether this is long enough or not, really depends on the individual."

Wink, wink...