Episode · 2026-06-04
Nestlé x Helaina
Nestlé x Helaina | Outdoor Voices' Comeback | Phia: Chrome Extension of the Stars
Rundown
Chris and Colin cover Helaina's viral 'mad ad' founder story turned Nestlé partnership, Outdoor Voices' full-price-driven comeback under Ty Haney, and the buzzy Phia shopping Chrome extension backed by a star-studded investor list, plus a viral Kool-Aid pickle/pineapple food trend and a hyper-geotargeted NIL jerky campaign. The episode also features interview segments with a TV/ad-tech investor (Daniel) on creative freedom in TV advertising and Ventero Collective co-founder Sean Agateep on engraved watches and sentimental gifting.
Takes from this episode
The 'mad ad' format—posting raw, righteous frustration instead of a polished pitch—is a proven, replicable marketing formula, as shown by the Helaina founder's post going viral en route to a Nestlé partnership.
She followed a specific formula that we recently covered on the show which is basically you make a mad ad, you make an angry ad.
Phia's marquee investor lineup is really a bet on the founder's personal network and reputation rather than the product's novelty, since the tool resembles existing options like Honey and Google price tracking.
I mean it's a really well done launch... the investors are kind of a who's who... her network is probably unbelievable. And so to bet against her is probably a bad idea.
Outdoor Voices' rebound is a genuinely healthy comeback because it's built on near-full-price sell-through rather than heavy discounting, making it a margin story, not just a revenue bounce.
They're selling just as much, but they're keeping more of it. That's a healthier business, not just a busier one.
The viral Kool-Aid-on-food trend (pineapples, pickles, meat) is likely at least partly manufactured/astroturfed marketing rather than pure organic virality, even though the broad engagement suggests real appetite for it.
Yeah, I think this is totally manufactured... it could be... Totally could be.
Hyper-localized geographic targeting around college football fanbases, layered on NIL athlete partnerships, drove outsized order volume and site traffic compared to broad campaigns.
this company bought specifically in Texas and the markets... surrounding Texas that had really big fan bases. Did it geographically... hyperargeted... the numbers were kind of off the chart.
Attaching genuine sentimentality to a purchase (like engraved milestone gifts) and delivering on that in the customer experience is what turns buyers into repeat customers.
if you can attach that sentimentality... successfully deliver that on the customer experience and blow them away. You've got customers coming back.