The Fantasy Box
The Fantasy Box is a subscription service that sends adventurous date night kits to monogamous couples with themes ranging from romantic to risqué. Customers receive items themed to individual and unique fantasies in each box—from lingerie to candles, robes, and massagers.
2012-2018
Co-Founder/Creative DirectorLabor of Love
The Fantasy Box is not a case study in any particular business or creative project facet. It is a six-year accumulation of pure creativity, collaboration and 18-hour days. It was a crash course in building an online business, including eCommerce, purchasing, website management, fulfillment, marketing/advertising and even franchising. It was an organically grown success that involved 1 million difficult decisions and led to thousands of rejuvenated relationships.
From the design of the logo to writing and conceptualizing 80+ boxes to a holiday promotion called “The 12 days of Se-Xmas” that increased holiday revenue by over 500%, I was in charge of the creative and marketing duties of TFB from day one. Marketing partnerships, forging relationships with industry influencers, and using social marketing to reach thousands of customers created a multi-million-dollar success story with no investment, no marketing budget and almost solely organic growth. From packing boxes in an NYC apartment to mailing thousands of boxes per month, The Fantasy Box is still a multi-million-dollar success. The company is located in San Francisco, CA.
So rather than presenting a case study, below are a few of the invaluable lessons I learned.
Have a differentiator
Every business needs a message that separates them from their competitors. Our differentiator was Role Cards.
More of short stories than “instructions,” our Role Cards introduced a date night concept, set a scenario and put both participants on the same page. They removed awkwardness and anxiety and most importantly, created anticipation for the adventure a couple was about to embark on.
Always be innovating.
Website evolution
Iteration after iterationAt TFB, we went through at least 15 iterations of the website in six years (including changing e-commerce platforms twice). A constant commitment to improving processes, customer experience and technology.
Equality
Message are always current and positiveFrom the 50 Shades revolution to women's empowerment, we kept EVERY ad, marketing push and box balanced and respectful to all.
New product lines
A constant drive for the next ideaBoxes for same-sex couples, private sizing lingerie, and The Honeymoon Box (featured on The Knot)—were the answer to off-season sales slumps (typical retail calendar being November - Feb), and our Moi boxes for single nights in kept our offerings always fresh.
Create something out of nothing.
Have lemons. Make sexy lemonade.
With very little marketing capital, creativity was key. Many of our customers would take our boxes on vacation. With 5 cents worth of paper, we discovered a new way to get free hallway advertising with our ‘TFB—do not disturb’ signs.
We leveraged partnerships with dozens of retailers, GILT Group, Groupon, The Knot and even the #1 boudoir photographer in the US into thousands of new customers.
Branding Bullseye
We ran into many hurdles in the US due to its puritanical tendencies. Our identity and brand message were on point from the beginning.
All about communication
Everyone has fantasies. Period. 80% of people never share them. Our goal was to give people the tools to communicate them.
Logo
Our logo, a collaboration between our amazing graphic designer and the founders, perfectly illustrated our company. From farther away, it looks more like a package/gift. As you look closer, there is no doubt about our business proposal.
Fun, welcoming, non-pornographic message
From the copy tone to the color schemes, TFB was carefully branded as safe, fun and non-threatening.
Success Stories
Started in an NYC studio apartment.
* >1MM in yearly revenue after three years
* With 100% positive write-ups in every lifestyle publication from Cosmo to LiveStrong, dozens of business partners including YourTango and The Knot, and over 1000 affiliates, one of our proudest moments was being featured on ABC’s The View.
* We acheived a multi-million dollar valuation within 5 years with zero seed investment. Nothing but hard work.