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yo, marketer! 

so last week, I was vibin' with posthog, this super chill and quirky analytics tool. but this week's brand is on another level of funky.

I’m talking about a clothing brand that's straight-up wild. they had to go all out with their weird vibes to stand out in the game. 

the fashion scene is mega crowded, but if liquid death has taught us anything, it's that a dope brand can still slay the competition.

brand in the hot seat: 🩲 shinesty

today's treasure trove

• advertisement

• who is shinesty?

  • shinesty’s branding

• owned media

• paid media

• earned media

who is shinesty?

quick stats:

• youtube – 1k subscribers, 83 videos

• instagram – 204k followers

• facebook – 452k followers

• x/twitter – 6,056 followers

• tiktok – 377.4k followers

• monthly website traffic – 589.2k

alright, so shinesty is like the total opposite social profile compared to posthog (remember last week’s deep dive? 👀). and it totally tracks:

posthog's all about that professional crowd – the builders, the makers – so they’re heavy on x/twitter.

their product’s kinda complex, so they’ve gotta break it down with those how-to youtube vids.

but shinesty? their game’s simple: it’s clothes, but with a twist – their cheeky designs and bold brand are what makes them pop. they need those eye-catching, fun visuals to get the message out there. 

shinesty’s branding

this “little clothing brand that could” is based in colorado and started within a competitive niche: men’s underwear with a built-in pouch for… *ahem – the goods.

there were big players (like saxx and mack weldon) owning the space in the 2010’s through paid media, but in a buttoned-up, respectable way.

this created a gap in the market for shinesty to dive-bomb in with a pendulum swing in the opposite direction. if the competing brands are tom cruise, shinesty is macho man randy savage.

they lean in hard on the 80s, ‘murica, mullets, and eagles – “retro-patriotic” sort of vibe. displaying a unique band voice they apply to everything, from their designs, to their website, to their public relations.

after building a customer base and establishing their brand as a differentiator, they’ve started expanding into other products. this suit is particularly noteworthy:

owned media

repeat after me: platform native content wins

shinesty takes that gary vee phrase, “every brand is a media company” to the x-treme.

their instagram content – wonderful mix of product, reels, and memes

tiktok – perfect talking-head style and behind the scenes videos

email and website – in “retro-patriotic” fashion, they’ve included a menu item for the olympics (you would not believe how many things it’s possible to put eagles, denim, and the american flag on).

the abandoned cart email is not just present, it portrays your abandoned product as an adoptable pet. I could go on, but you get it.

paid media

as with most d2c brands, shinesty goes hard on ugc-style content, but they also mix in some featured products and eye-catching headlines.

but one unique thing shinesty took the leap on was being one of the first brands to sign a NIL (name, image, and likeness) deal with a college athlete, or in their words: “COLLEGE FOOTBALL'S FIRST PROFESSIONAL UNDERWEAR SUPERMODEL”

in july 2021, the ncaa ruled that college players could sign NIL deals. shinesty seized the opportunity to sign a deal with a college athlete because:

1. since there was no precedent, they could sign a deal for much less cost than other athletes

2. they could sign a local celebrity (the signed athlete played for the university of colorado)

3. they could break frames in their irreverent way: not signing a chiseled model, but an offensive lineman to model their underwear.

earned media

the mix of news coverage and press releases shows how shinesty doesn’t always just go for the best ROAS – they do things that are on-brand and fun. 

I love it when a brand steps up to show their customers their humanity (remember when stanley bought a new car for that woman?)

hehe, but in shinesty’s case, of course, it had to be more chaotic: “Mulleted Streaker At Waste Management Open Gets Bail & Court Fees Covered By Underwear Brand Shinesty”

the lesson here is to find your loyal audience and see how you can show up for them.

…or do the most irreverent campaign you can think of.

wrap up

shinesty is knockin’ out the ball park (slight pun intended). they’ve dialed in their brand and are expanding their product offerings.

thanks for reading and I’d love to hear what thoughts you have about shinesty and this teardown. (and read the other deep dives here)

✌️,

tom from marketer gems