You’ve seen it. Even if you don’t remember the name, you remember the image. It’s that plush, hammock-like sling designed to cradle breasts and solve the age-old problem of "boob sweat." When Erin Robertson walked onto the set of Ta-Ta Towel Shark Tank edition back in 2017, the internet basically exploded. It was one of those rare moments where a product looked so inherently funny that people struggled to see the genuine utility behind it. But here’s the thing: while the Sharks were busy smirking, Robertson was sitting on a goldmine of solved frustrations.
Most people think Shark Tank is about the pitch. It's not. It’s about the "why" behind the buy.
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The Invention Born of a Bad Date
Erin Robertson didn't wake up one day and decide to disrupt the lingerie industry. She was getting ready for a date in Los Angeles. It was hot. Like, stiflingly hot. She was blow-drying her hair, and the sweat was pooling under her breasts. She tried tucking washcloths under them. She tried baby powder. Nothing worked. It was a miserable, sticky mess that every woman with a larger bust size understands intuitively but rarely talks about in polite company.
She realized there was a massive gap between "wearing a bra" and "being naked."
The Ta-Ta Towel was her solution. It’s essentially a halter-style towel that loops around the neck and holds the breasts up and out of the way, allowing skin-to-skin contact to be replaced by absorbent terry cloth. It sounds simple. It looks, frankly, a bit ridiculous. But the utility was undeniable for her target demographic.
What Actually Happened in the Tank?
When Robertson appeared in Season 9, Episode 4, she was seeking $200,000 for 10% of her company. At that point, she had already done something most entrepreneurs fail to do: she had gone viral. Hard. Before she even stepped in front of Mark Cuban or Lori Greiner, her product had been memed into oblivion, which—in a weird twist of modern marketing—led to over $1 million in sales in just six months.
The pitch was legendary for its awkwardness and eventual triumph.
Lori Greiner, the "Queen of QVC," was the obvious target. However, Lori actually passed. She felt the product was too niche or perhaps a bit too "as seen on TV" in a way that didn't fit her current portfolio. Mark Cuban and Kevin O'Leary were, predictably, focused on the numbers but skeptical of the longevity. They saw it as a fad. A gag gift.
Then there was Robert Herjavec.
Robert is often the Shark who looks for the "heart" or the sheer momentum of a brand. He saw the sales. He saw the viral traction. He offered $200,000 for a 40% stake. That’s a massive haircut on valuation. Robertson, showing some serious backbone, countered. She wasn't going to give away nearly half her company for a product that was already flying off the shelves. Eventually, they settled on $200,000 for 40%, but the deal famously didn't close after the show.
That’s a common Shark Tank "secret." About half the deals you see on TV fall apart during due diligence.
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Why the "Gag Gift" Label Was Dead Wrong
The biggest mistake the Sharks (and the public) made was assuming the Ta-Ta Towel was just for vanity or sweat. It wasn't. After the episode aired, a flood of testimonials started coming in from a demographic the Sharks hadn't even considered: breastfeeding mothers and women undergoing chemotherapy or recovering from surgery.
For a nursing mom, the Ta-Ta Towel is a godsend. It’s easy to flip up, it absorbs leaks, and it doesn't have the restrictive wires of a nursing bra. For women with sensitive skin due to radiation treatments, the soft liner was one of the few things they could wear comfortably.
This is the nuance of business. Sometimes your "funny" product is actually a medical or lifestyle necessity for a group of people the mainstream forgets.
The Realities of Scaling a Viral Brand
Going viral is a double-edged sword. You get a massive spike in revenue, sure. But then you have to manage the supply chain. Robertson faced significant hurdles with manufacturing and shipping. When you go from zero to a million dollars in sales overnight because a Facebook video went crazy, your infrastructure usually breaks.
- Copycats: Within weeks of the episode, cheap knockoffs flooded Amazon and Alibaba.
- Inventory: Predicting if the "trend" will last six months or six years is nearly impossible.
- Brand Evolution: How do you move past the "towel" and become a loungewear brand?
Robertson managed to keep the brand alive by leaning into the community. She didn't try to make it "high fashion." She kept it real, focused on comfort, and expanded the size range to be inclusive. The brand eventually introduced different fabrics, patterns, and even "the Lingere-Ta," a sexier version of the original sling.
The Post-Tank Legacy
So, where is Ta-Ta Towel now?
Honestly, it's a success story by any objective metric. While it might not be a billion-dollar unicorn like Spanx, it remains a profitable, active business. It proved that "weird" sells if it solves a "painful" (or itchy, or sweaty) problem. The company survived the initial hype cycle—which is where most Shark Tank companies die—and carved out a permanent spot in the loungewear market.
It also changed the way inventors look at "problem-solution" marketing. You don't need a sleek, tech-heavy gadget to win. You just need to solve a problem that people are embarrassed to talk about but desperate to fix.
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Actionable Business Insights from the Ta-Ta Towel Story
If you’re looking to launch a product or grow a brand, there are a few tactical takeaways from Erin Robertson’s journey that apply regardless of what you're selling.
1. Don't Fear the Meme
If people are making fun of your product, they are talking about it. In the attention economy, negative or "funny" attention is often more valuable than being ignored. Robertson leaned into the humor rather than getting defensive. She let the internet do her marketing for her.
2. Identify the "Secondary" Market
The Ta-Ta Towel started for "boob sweat" but lived on through "nursing and recovery." Always look at who is actually using your product and why. They might be using it for a reason you never intended. Pivot your marketing to speak to those people—they are your most loyal customers.
3. Valuation isn't Everything
Robertson was willing to walk away from a deal that felt too predatory, even on national television. While she eventually took Robert's deal (on air), the fact that the business thrived without the Shark's final investment shows that "The Tank" is a launchpad, not a life support system.
4. Solve the "Invisible" Problem
The best products solve problems people have accepted as "just the way it is." Sweat under the breasts was just something women dealt with. By naming the problem and providing a specific tool to fix it, Robertson created a category where there wasn't one.
To move forward with your own brand or product idea, start by documenting the "annoying" parts of your daily routine that you've simply learned to tolerate. Those tiny frictions are where the next big business is hiding. Once you identify one, prototype a solution using whatever is on hand—even if it's just a modified bath towel and some safety pins. Validate the utility before you worry about the aesthetics. Success in the market usually follows the function, while the fashion can always be iterated later.