Sex toys seem to be everywhere these days, don’t they? Hell, we even recently listed a bunch of male sex toys that guys should know about — and probably buy for themselves. But, in the history of sex toys, a dildo might be the most popular. And, if you’ve ever wondered why the things come in such bright colors like pink and baby blue, we’ve got some info on why that’s the case.

Thanks to the good folks over at Gizmodo — who reached out to a few sex toy manufacturers — they swept up some intense knowledge about all these bright dildos. What they find? There’s more that goes into deciding on these colorful sex toys than anyone would imagine.

We know what you’re probably thinking: how come all dildos don’t just come in a flesh color that resembles a real-life penis, right? That’s something we’ve asked ourselves, too, and it makes sense. After all, when imitating sex, it’s natural to think a dildo should just act like a penis. But here’s the thing, sex toy makers have a good reason for such bright colored dildos.

According to the aforementioned Gizmodo piece, here’s what Janet Lieberman, co-founder and CTO of a sex toy startup called Dame Products, had to tell the author.

“Any color you come out with, some people are going to tell you it’s the best color in the world, some people are going to tell you it’s the worst color in the world.”

So, with that, it’s true that some girls just don’t want dull dildo colors. For instance, per information in the Gizmodo piece, there’s no set standard for what is and isn’t liked, but one truth seems to be universally shared: brighter is better.

Whether because certain pinks mimic certain skin tones or because — whether we’re talking tools or guns or sex toys — manufacturers use pinks as shorthand to whisper to women. … Almost uniformly, the sex toy companies’ representatives with whom I spoke said blacks, purples, pinks, and blues topped North American sales charts; reds, meanwhile, put people off—unless the red veered toward maroon or berry. Green and orange proved prohibitively hard to move, collecting dust on stock room shelves alongside skin toned vibes. Yellow always ranks low in the color preference hierarchy, no matter what you’re selling.

That’s some interesting info. But, Gizmodo didn’t stop there, wanting to know what psychology people have when in sex toy shops. The article also talked with marketing manager at Dame, Stephanie Keating, who had this to say about why the more colorful dildos are all over the shelves.

When people are shopping in adult stores, they really are looking for something that like evokes excitement and fun,” she said. “We try to implement that in our colors using brighter, bolder colors that evoke excitement and play, as opposed to using a lot of muted stuff.” “Brighter colors, bolder colors, tend to emphasize the shapes of products,” Keating added, nodding to a palm-sized vibe called the Wish, reminiscent of a bright, aquamarine skipping stone. “When we had it in darker colors, it kind of looked like a … blob,” she said. “The shape almost disintegrated.”

Sure, sex toys may not be thought of for having much personality — after all, they’re meant to physically please people, not brighten someone’s day. But, believe it or not, those brighter colors are meant to take on the fun of a sex toy. Much like a shirt brings a certain feeling while wearing it, so, too, does a dildo.

So, if you’re ever in a sex shop wondering why your girlfriend doesn’t just grab the first dildo she sees, now you know that she may be looking at the color more than anything else. For more info on all of this, head on over to Gizmodo to see their in-depth coverage.

(H/T Gizmodo)