OTO started as a group of passionate, talented friends who sought to use the power of CBD to help themselves and others through thoughtful and effective products that easily and enjoyably fit into their daily lives. Across most of the world, the benefits of CBD remain a mystery and it is often misunderstood and mis-sold, which absolutely shouldn’t be the case. Therefore, OTO made it their mission to help people discover the power of CBD and to create the world’s finest CBD experiences.
Intrigued to find out more about CBD and OTO as a company, including their products and inspiration, I had the opportunity to speak to Tom Lorimer, one of OTO’s Co-Founders in more detail. He begun by explaining that ‘OTO’ translates to sound in Japanese and more specifically the space between sound and silence, and for them that was a critical factor that contributed to the creation of OTO as a brand as they wanted to help people find their space in between the sound and the silence and find their inner peace in amongst the hecticness of their daily lives. CBD by its very nature regulates balance in our bodies and this lead to the inspiration behind OTO and their quest of rebalancing the world through the creation of a luxury lifestyle brand. Tom explained that when CBD first hit the market, it took a very clinical route through the use of vapes, capsules and tinctures so the team at OTO wanted to take it out of the medicine cabinet so to speak and put it into products that people would use in their daily routines; whether that be by their bed, or in their drinks cabinet etc. OTO now has a plethora of products that span from sleep, spa, beauty, drinks products and many more.
OTO’s main demographic is the ‘mindful maximiser’, which they describe as someone who tends to be late millennial that looks after themselves, enjoys quality, is willing to trade up, is keen on experiences and most importantly has pressing need states that OTO’s products can help soothe. For example, their need states would include sleep, pain and inflammation and high stressed careers. The UK is where OTO have the biggest presence currently and it is where they are continuing to grow the brand, however they have made huge headway in Japan, Hong Kong and the U.S.A.
When OTO was launched, the intention was to create a global luxury lifestyle brand and that is very much what they are on course and striving to do. In the short term, their intention has always been to show people the incredible benefits of using CBD. When they launched, the market was beginning to become very cluttered and confused, but the team at OTO knew that if the ingredient was used in the right way it could be an incredible force for good. Having used CBD himself to transform his sleep pattern, Tom explained that he always had complete faith in their products and that if used alongside a healthy lifestyle they could form part of the cure.
I was intrigued to know more about what sets OTO above their competitors in their offering and company values. Tom proudly explained that OTO are the leading luxury CBD brand for a number reasons; one of which being the sheer amount and quality of CBD in their products. Because this is something that OTO are incredibly passionate about, they have implemented an OTO strength guarantee, which guarantees their consumers that with the amount of CBD in their products they will work. For example, OTO have between 40-60mg of pure CBD isolate per application or use. To put that into context, some other products available on the market from competitors only have 40-60mg in the entire product.
Innovation is something that OTO put such an emphasis on as they have over five ‘world’s first’ products in their portfolio including the world’s first and only CBD Pillow Mist and CBD Cocktail Bitters. Tom also told me that they are the only luxury CBD brand to be stocked in Harrods, Liberty, Fortnam & Mason, John Lewis & Selfridges to name a few. Moving into the hotel and hospitality sector, they are also the first CBD brand to be used in world renowned hotel names such as The Langham, The W and The Mandarin Oriental. Tom also went on to say that OTO are proud to say that they are one of the very few brands to have made the final FSA public list that gives them huge credibility to their products and brand. Their quality and credibility is also reinforced by the glowing testimonials and reviews that they have from their consumers. OTO have also won more awards than any other CBD brand in Europe. The success that OTO have generated since their launch, is also credited to their incredible team, who work relentlessly hard to drive OTO to the top of the industry.
OTO are continuously working hard on new and innovative products and as I was speaking with Tom he told me about their brand new product; the Cleansing Jam Exfoliator which launched in April and is their first non CBD product. It is enriched with Hemp Seed Oil, AHA extract & Jojoba seed and whilst gently cleansing the skin, it acts as a primer to prep the skin for the application of their Revitalising CBD Serum and Hydrating CBD Day Cream to help better absorb the CBD into the body. Tom emphasised that it is sensational! Some of OTO’s best selling products are from their Sleep range, which they have also seen a huge growth in demand from Hotels as an in-room solution. Having used the sleep drops myself, I can absolutely vouch for the fact that they are incredible! One of Tom’s personal favourite products is their CBD Cocktail Bitters as you can add it to you Gin & Tonic, or alcohol free cocktail as it is extremely versatile.
The Covid-19 pandemic was something that pushed OTO to become stronger and more focussed whilst remaining nimble and agile. The reality of the pandemic meant that the majority of people experienced some form of stress and anxiety alongside their standard routines and daily lives being thrown off kilter, which meant that as a result people were going in search of natural remedies such as CBD. This allowed OTO to continue to thrive and go in search of growth within new markets abroad.
OTO really are an incredible luxury CBD lifestyle brand that has never been afraid to lead from the front and push the boundaries of what’s possible in the industry. To name some examples, they launched the first ever Cannabis CBD pop up in Harrods, the first ever Cannabis store in Covent Garden and the first ever CBD window display in Selfridges.
I have no doubt that we are going to be seeing amazing things from OTO in the future!
