Tyson Kennedy—the brain behind Fatboy Products, LLC, an upstart hair care company with a cult following—has gained notoriety for not only his styling acumen but his music.
 
Not your everyday combo, this hip hairstylist is also a Grammy Award nominated musician; Kennedy’s punk band Steriogram is probably best known for its single “Walkie Talkie Man,” which gained attention when it was used as background music for Apple iPod commercials back in 2004.
 
Back then, Kennedy was the band’s drummer and lead vocalist—and hair stylist, too.
 
After eight years of touring with the band, Kennedy made his way from his home base of New Zealand to New York, and became co-owner of Cutler Brooklyn. He was always mixing products in his New York City kitchen, and in 2016 whipped up Perfect Putty, which quickly developed a cult following. 
 
Since then, Fatboy has grown from that single SKU to a seven-product collection that has become a favorite among celebrity hairstylists and distributed at notable salons in multiple countries.
 
Now with a second round of private level capital funding complete and a new CEO on board, Fatboy is ready for more.
 
Kenny Kahn, a notable beauty industry veteran, has come on board as chief executive, allowing Kennedy to focus on what he does best—product development, while Fatboy co-founder Tim Youngson (Steriogram’s rhythm guitarist) handles the marketing activities.
 
Kahn, who spent 11 years in executive roles at Muzak LLC and was responsible for its successful rebrand, was looking for an investment in the beauty category, scouring shows like Cosmoprof before connecting with Fatboy and Kennedy’s team, which seems to have a knack for growing enterprises, be they bands or brands, organically.
 
Fatboy has an aggressive omni channel distribution plan for 2018, and will roll out three new styling and treatment products—including a new spray form of its popular putty.
 
The company will also embark on what it is calling a “comprehensive sampling and marketing partnerships” with Ispy and Fit Fab Fun, as well as a “fully integrated digital marketing strategy.”
 
Fatboy reaches professionals with a direct-to-stylist text initiative that delivers product promotions and salon education directly to the mobile devices of salons carrying the Fatboy brand. The mobile messaging campaign is immediate and eliminates the hassle of conventional product ordering, according to Kahn.
 
“We watch it grow every single month,’ Kahn told Happi about the growing database.
 
According to Kahn, Fatboy is looking to rapidly accelerate growth by expanding its reach to new customers and into new channels, with a focus on the professional salon industry, ecommerce and specialty retailers. But he emphasized that Kennedy is committed to the professional channel.
 
“To his core, Tyson is a stylist,” Kahn said. “We don’t’ see ourselves in Target.”
 
But that doesn’t mean Fatboy will bypass a great opportunity to reach customers. Urban Outfitters was one of the first retailers to carry some of its selected products and the brand is currently sold on Amazon Luxury Beauty.
 
“They are an independent thinking group,” Kahn said. “They don’t want to play by the rules of 30 or 40 years ago in the beauty industry.”
 
With funding to fuel the company’s growth plans, Kahn contends Fatboy is ready to tackle a marketplace that’s ripe for the taking.
 
“Consumers are seeking unique niche brands in the hair category that emphasize cleaner ingredients and innovative solutions,” he said. “That is Fatboy and the timing couldn't be better.”