Jonathan Byrt and Jesse Leeworthy didn’t set out to launch a global reusable bottle brand. They just wanted a drink bottle that actually fit in their bag. Fast forward 11 years and memobottle is stocked in thousands of premium retailers, co-branded with Spotify and Meta, and used by millions around the world.
In today’s episode of Add To Cart, memobottle’s founders share how they’ve evolved from a side project into a lifestyle brand: surviving near-death moments, scaling through design, and building a product-led identity that’s recognisable across the globe.
“It’s not about the bottle. It’s about what the bottle lets you do, where you can take it, how it fits into your life.”
Today, we’re discussing…
- How they went from Kickstarter to Urban Outfitters before even shipping
- Why B2B became 80% of their business (and how that nearly broke them)
- How they used a stainless steel pre-order campaign to save the company
- What it really takes to build a low-repeat product brand
- The power of “halo” placements in art galleries, MoMA, and global activations
- How they built their marketing team like an internal agency
- Why their smallest bottle outsells all others during festival season
“We almost went under, twice. But the Kickstarter came through, the team rallied, and we rethought the whole model.”
From fly-fishing mums to fashion week launches, memobottle proves that product, brand and distribution can coexist: but you might need to design the ecosystem yourself.
00:00:00 Introducing memobottle’s Unique Design
00:02:43 From Personal Frustration to Kickstarter Success
00:06:40 Building a Brand Through Premium Retailers
00:12:18 COVID Crisis and Business Near-Collapse
00:21:50 Re-designing and Saving The Company
00:22:14 Creating an Omni-Channel Business Model
00:33:55 Marketing as an Internal Agency
00:45:34 Protecting Design and Building for Future
00:50:30 Key Lessons and Future Brand Expansion
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