When a mission-led brand breaks trust, is the mission still believable?
Todayâs brand had THE voice. THE mission. THE market. Then it got exposedâliterally.
What followed? A scandal, a lawsuit, and one of the most calculated comebacks in ecommerce.
- How Thinx survived a chemical scandal đ§Ş
- Agency tools, no agency fees đ¸
- How to rebuilt trust after backlash đ
SCRATCHING THE SURFACE
Before the lawsuits, before the headlines, Thinx was the blueprint for what modern DTC brands aspired to be.
Launched in 2014 with provocative subway ads and a mission to shatter menstrual taboos, it wasnât just selling leakproof underwearâit was selling a movement. đ¸
It had voice, vision, and a loyal, vocal customer base that treated the brand like a badge of identity.
đ Peak dominance, then fallout
⨠By 2020, Thinx owned around 70% of the U.S. period-underwear market. Sales jumped 50% that year, hitting $80Mâa meteoric rise in one of the most overlooked corners of femcare.
đĽ Then came the gut punch: independent testing flagged the presence of PFAS (aka âforever chemicalsâ) in their products.
Cue the outrage. A $5M class-action suit followed.
For a brand built on trust and transparency, the backlash hit deep.
But Thinx didnât vanishâthey went to work. What couldâve been a brand-breaking scandal became a masterclass in recovery. đ§°
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DIVING DEEPER
What Thinx did right to rebuild brand trust
Most brands spin. Thinx didnât. They leaned into the controversy, kept the receipts visible, and treated the backlash like a brand-building opportunity.
đ They didnât just update a product, they reframed a promise:
- Thinx took ownership early on, acknowledged customer concerns without vague half-apologies, and committed to product transparency.
- Made the invisible visible.nOpened up the ingredient list, shining light on what others keep hidden.
- Used their platform for awareness. Thinx continued to normalize discussions around menstruation, using the moment to further their educational mission. đŁ
- Elevated industry standards. Their actions pressured competitors to reevaluate product safety and ingredient transparency.
- Reengaged their community. Thinx invited feedback, hosted Q&As, and empowered customers to hold brands accountable.
The boldest move? They didnât abandon their voice. They kept the tone, the mission, and the fightâjust with cleaner products and sharper messaging.
đ§ Donât wait for a scandal
Whether you’re selling supplements, skincare, or anything people put in or on their bodies, the Thinx saga is a case study in crisis readiness. Because the issue isnât if something goes wrongâitâs how you respond when it does.
- Be first to speakâsilence is fuel for suspicion
- Be specificâ”safe” doesnât mean much without proof
- Be visibleâuse reformulations, certifications, or testing to show change
- Be consistentâdonât drop your brand voice when pressure rises
Thinx didnât just surviveâthey reset the rules. And sellers who learn from it? They wonât need a scandal to grow stronger. đŞ