First Month Revenue
Social Impressions
Email Subscribers
Pre-Launch to Viral
The Client
Aero Active was founded by two former Nike designers with a vision: create performance wear that looked as good in the gym as it did on the street. Their product was exceptional—moisture-wicking fabrics with four-way stretch, flattering cuts, and subtle branding that appealed to Gen Z and Millennials tired of loud athletic logos.
The challenge? They had zero brand awareness, a limited marketing budget ($150K), and were entering one of the most saturated categories in e-commerce. Traditional DTC playbooks—Facebook ads, influencer gifting, slow organic growth—wouldn't cut it. They needed velocity from day one.
Break Through the Noise
Crowded Market
Competing against Lululemon, Gymshark, Alo Yoga, and hundreds of DTC startups with massive ad budgets.
Zero Awareness
No existing audience, no social following, no customer reviews or social proof to leverage.
Speed Requirement
Needed to hit profitability within 6 months or risk running out of runway. No time for slow growth.
Limited Budget
$150K total marketing budget vs. competitors spending $50K+ per day on paid acquisition.
The Viral Velocity Framework
Phase 1: Pre-Launch Hype Machine (Weeks 1-4)
We built anticipation before the product was even available. Created a waitlist landing page with exclusive early-access offers, seeded product with 50 micro-influencers (10K-100K followers) in fitness and lifestyle niches, and generated 180K email signups through strategic giveaways and referral mechanics.
- Influencer seeding program: 50 creators, $45K in product + $30K in fees
- Viral referral waitlist: "Skip the line" mechanic drove 180K signups
- TikTok teaser campaign: Behind-the-scenes content, founder story, product demos
Phase 2: TikTok Shop Launch (Weeks 5-8)
We launched exclusively on TikTok Shop first—not Shopify. This gave us access to TikTok's algorithm boost for new sellers, lower customer acquisition costs, and the ability to leverage live shopping events. We coordinated 12 influencers to go live simultaneously on launch day, creating a "drop" event that felt like a cultural moment.
- TikTok Shop exclusive launch with coordinated influencer live streams
- Sold 8,400 units in first 72 hours ($420K revenue)
- Generated 47M organic impressions through creator content and shares
Phase 3: Omnichannel Expansion (Weeks 9-12)
With proof of concept and user-generated content flooding TikTok and Instagram, we launched the Shopify store, enabled Amazon FBA, and activated paid social ads using the best-performing organic content. We also launched a subscription model for core products, driving LTV and predictable revenue.
- Shopify DTC site launch with optimized checkout and subscription options
- Amazon FBA for broader reach and Prime eligibility
- Paid social using top-performing UGC, achieving 3.2x ROAS
- Subscription program launched: 22% of customers opted in
Viral Success, Sustainable Growth
Launch Month Revenue
Exceeded first-month target by 340%. Sold out of initial inventory in 18 days.
Customer Acquisition Cost
Blended CAC of $8 vs. industry average of $45-60 for apparel brands.
Social Engagement
Total impressions across TikTok and Instagram from organic and paid content.
Repeat Purchase Rate
38% of customers made a second purchase within 60 days, driven by subscription model.
"Rivvy didn't just help us launch—they helped us create a movement. The TikTok Shop strategy was genius. We went from zero to a waitlist of 180K people in 4 weeks. Our first month did $2.1M in revenue. We're now on track to hit $25M in year one. This is the playbook every new brand needs."
Marcus Chen
Co-Founder & CEO, Aero Active