How to Sell a Thing Nobody Likes

Some product categories are truly dull, but that doesn’t mean their brands have to be. Tom Rinks knows that better than almost anyone.

-  LIz BRODY

In 2021, when Tom Rinks was asked to rebrand an oral care company, he had a few thoughts: The name sucked, for one. The market looked impenetrable. And the product was boring as hell. It was right up his alley. Rinks is an unusual guy, with an even more unusual skill set. Intense and given to obsession, he studiously maintains an invisible profile online and wears his lucky Tupac socks to every important meeting. He's also developed a reputation as a brand savant-with a specialty in turning unexciting things into fun, cool merch.

His largest hit was Sun Bum, which he cofounded and sold for around $400 million. And he's credited with popularizing the chihuahua-the dog once just seen as an ugly, annoying rodent-by turning it into a countercultural clothing brand and inspiring the iconic Taco Bell campaign (although, it's complicated; we'll get to that).

All of this is to say, Rinks was a good match for Spotlight, the oral care company. Three dentists, including two sisters from Ireland, had poured their hearts and money into products with high-quality ingredients and recyclable tubes, all free from animal testing. It was doing well in the U.K. but not meeting their goals in the U.S. "We wanted to be a mass brand," says cofounder Lisa Creaven.

Rinks agreed to help. To come up with the rebrand, he researched the market, which was dominated by Crest, Colgate, and Sensodyne, and stood in store aisles for months, scrutinizing shoppers and scavenging for clues. In Target, he watched people grab their favorite brand without even moving their eyes over the shelf. "Nobody's looking for a new toothpaste," he says.