In this episode of How I Built This, host Guy Raz interviews Tom Rinks, the creative force and co-founder behind the iconic sunscreen brand Sunbum. Rinks shares his journey from working as a commission-only furniture salesman in Grand Rapids, Michigan, to building a branding empire that culminated in a $400 million acquisition by S.C. Johnson.

The conversation traces Rinks' early entrepreneurial ventures, including his successful collegiate t-shirt business, New Agenda, and his creation of the "Psycho Chihuahua" brand. This mascot led to a grueling five-year legal battle with Taco Bell over their famous advertising campaign, which ultimately resulted in a multi-million dollar judgment for Rinks and his partner.

Rinks details how he applied these hard-won branding principles to launch Sunbum in 2010. By focusing on distinctive wood-grain packaging, a memorable gorilla mascot named Sonny, and a highly targeted grassroots marketing strategy, Sunbum disrupted a stagnant market dominated by legacy corporate giants.

The Art of Commission-Only Furniture Sales

Tom Rinks spent five years working on full commission at Art Van Furniture in Grand Rapids, Michigan, which he credits as the foundation of his career.

"In the modern world, you could be as creative as you want, but unless you know how to sell, you're just not going to make it." - Tom

Rinks learned to tailor his sales pitch based on customer demographics, using different sensory words for men, women, and families looking at leather sofas.

From Surf Michigan to Collegiate Licensing Success

Rinks launched his first t-shirt, "Surf Michigan," after seeing longboarders on Lake Michigan, eventually securing an unexpected 1,800-shirt order from Meijer buyer Vivian Dreyer.

During the 1990s Fab Five era at the University of Michigan, Rinks secured a collegiate license and sold 10,000 "Slam Dance" t-shirts in a single season.

Rinks expanded his apparel business, New Agenda, to hold over 400 collegiate licenses, though high inventory and printing costs limited overall profitability.

The Psycho Chihuahua and the Taco Bell Legal Battle

Inspired by a photo of Madonna holding her pet, Rinks and partner Joe Shields created "Psycho Chihuahua," a highly successful, edgy apparel line.

Taco Bell executives approached Rinks at a licensing show and spent 18 months collaborating on a mascot campaign before abruptly ghosting him in 1997.

After Taco Bell aired the "Yo Quiero Taco Bell" campaign using their exact storyboards, Rinks and Shields filed a breach of contract lawsuit.

Following a grueling five-year battle, a federal jury awarded Rinks and Shields $30.1 million plus $12 million in interest, which was settled after Taco Bell appealed.

Mashing Up Design Cultures to Create Sunbum

In 2009, Rinks was approached to rescue a failing sunscreen venture, leading him to identify a massive market gap for an authentic, lifestyle-oriented sun care brand.

The iconic Sunbum bottle design was a mashup of mid-century modern Eames wood grain, Northern European typography, Japanese street fashion, and collectible vinyl toys.

Partner Rene Canetti designed the "Sonny" gorilla mascot, which Rinks knew would be a powerful, timeless brand asset: "They don't get old. They don't get DUIs like founders or celebrities." - Tom

Guerrilla Marketing and the IKEA Display Strategy

To establish a premium brand presence, Sunbum refused to let retailers "cherry-pick" individual bottles, requiring them to purchase a complete branded display.

"We went to IKEA and got these big bookcases... redid the holes so they would fit our sunscreen bottles perfectly... and that's what we showed at the trade show." - Tom

Independent sales rep Michael Lacera drove early growth by relentlessly stickering surf towns, off-ramps, and gas pumps with the Sonny mascot.

Sunbum's revenue grew from $100,000 in year one to $1.1 million in year two, securing exclusive placements at high-end resorts like Richard Branson's Necker Island.

Knowing When to Step Aside for Scale and Exit

Recognizing his limitations in financial management and operations, Rinks stepped aside as CEO in year three or four, hiring Harvard graduate Adam Francis to run the company.

"Creatives usually start companies... and they're really good at creative... and then they start hiring people and doing the P&Ls... and by year three, the curve starts going down." - Tom

Because sunscreen is regulated as a drug globally, Sunbum partnered with S.C. Johnson for international expansion, resulting in a $400 million acquisition in 2019.