It was a betrayal that the whole world heard.
Earlier this year, when Bravo’s “Vanderpump Rules” star Tom Sandoval cheated on his longtime girlfriend Ariana Madix with their co-star and real life friend Raquel Leviss, it went from social media to front page news.
Summing up the cheating scandal, dubbed “Scandoval,” Madix stepped out days later on her way to film the highly anticipated “Vanderpump Rules” reunion in a yellow hoodie and matching tracksuit bottoms from the clothing brand. Guys lie.
Tori Robinson and Leah O’Malley, best friends and co-founders of Los Angeles’ Boys Lie, said the paparazzi photo caused an immediate spike in sales of the brand’s “1-800-BOYS-LIE” sweatshirt and sweatpants.
“It exploded in a way we’ve never seen before,” Robinson said.
Robinson and O’Malley started their business in 2018, but it wasn’t until they started making clothes with their simple “boys lie” tagline — and celebrities wearing them — that their brand took off.
More from personal finance:
The Powerball jackpot reaches $900 million. Here is the tax receipt
The battle over Aretha Franklin’s estate shows the importance of having a good will
Decision of the Supreme Court on affirmative action and recognition of inheritance
Recently, Tori Spelling wore a Boys Lie t-shirt on her first outing after news of her divorce from Dean McDermott broke after 17 years of marriage. The catchy logo has once again caused a stir.
“Our brand is a way to express your emotions without having to say anything,” said O’Malley.
Their marketing strategy includes giving away free clothes to celebrities and social media influencers. In return, Robinson and O’Malley hope that celebrities and influencers will post photos of themselves wearing the clothes on the feeds. This alone helps drive sales.
A business born on Instagram
Tori Robinson and Leah O’Malley, co-founders of Los Angeles’ Boys Lie.
Guys lie
“We’re strictly donating with the hope that a celebrity will wear it,” Robinson said, before sending photos online. So far it has worked. Last year, the pair made $8 million in wholesale and direct-to-consumer sales and are on track to reach between $9 million and $10 million by 2023, according to the company.
TikTok and Instagram have quickly become the easiest and cheapest way start a business.
As e-commerce platforms, they are also highly effective. Most people, especially Millennials and Gen Zers, have spent money they didn’t originally plan to on products they saw in their social media resourcesseveral studies show.
What’s next for Boys Lie
Now the duo is working on their next “drop” and has a podcast with the same name. Boys Lie became “more of a lifestyle,” Robinson said.
O’Malley likens them to “big sisters” to their customers, who often write in to share their own relationship horror stories.
“Anyone can go through grief,” she said. “We’ve become a voice that needs to be vented.”