eCommerce Success Story: Oddballs

When we think of underwear, we generally imagine a product that is functional or sexy. Therefore, having fun underwear is already an attribute that can surprise us. Moreover, Oddballs' underwear has a strong ethical stance in raising awareness about diseases such as testicular cancer.

The result is a remarkable company with overwhelming success in the UK through its online store.

It may seem like a cliché when talking about an English eCommerce, but the founders of the brand assure that the idea arose on a cold January afternoon in 2014 while having a few pints in a pub.

The original idea was to sell underwear to raise funds against testicular cancer and to raise awareness about a disease that is curable in over 95% of cases with early detection.

What could have been just another bar conversation turned into an ambitious project. By May of that year, they had already produced their first stock of garments, and in May, they managed to close the first order.

How much are you willing to get involved in a social cause? If, as in this case, it is part of your ethos, you have to do it consistently and determinedly.

Since its founding in 2014, this company has donated nearly a million pounds to charitable causes, but it also plays an active role in raising awareness. 

Thanks to an ambassador program, it organizes talks at universities and other public forums, helping with cancer detection. In addition to all this, it has created a guide distributed in locker rooms of pools and gyms across the country.

As we have already mentioned, they initially sold underwear, a product closely linked to the cause that inspired them.

Over the years, Oddballs’ catalog has grown. Now, besides all kinds of boxers and briefs, you can find socks, t-shirts, pajamas, sportswear, sunglasses, umbrellas...

And since charitable causes are transversal, they also sell these products in their female versions.

Another important aspect for the brand is the design of its products. You may like them more, or you may like them less, but I assure you they won’t leave you indifferent.

Generally, they use vibrant colors and bold patterns. It is understood that this decision is due to more than just the aesthetic taste of the designers, but actually seeks to contribute to conveying a positive, hopeful, and fun message. Given the charitable nature of the project, the message is balanced with the design.

In these ten years, Oddballs has launched more than 300 different designs. Some are reissued, and others simply have a shorter life cycle. This leads many of their users to collect garments, promoting loyalty and subscription sales.

To close the design topic, it is worth mentioning that they have different agreements with rugby or football teams, brands of all kinds, and, of course, various charitable organizations. You can find these special designs, created for each collaboration, on their website.

Several elements stand out as we scroll:

The categories are also very well designed, in fact, they have usability above average. We can use complex filters (size, style, price...), but with the large and accessible buttons at the top, much of the interaction is solved.

Special mention to the images of people wearing the garments; this avoids the typical grid filled with products on a neutral background. We see a context of use and happy people, making it easier to empathize with the product.