"It was just an experiment": Shark Tank Australia's Maxine Horne recalls inventing Fone Zone Man for marketing purpose

Shark Tank Australia's Maxine Horne shared a clip via Instagram on February 26, 2025, recalling how she and her ex-husband, David McMahon, started Fone Zone. She mentioned having a "zero" marketing budget. However, they were determined to make a name for themselves. For that, they invented "Fone Zone Man."

The Vita Group founder recalled how her husband wore the outfit and later how it changed their product sales.

Recalling the story, Shark Tank Australia's mentor captioned the post with the following:

"Back when we started Fone Zone in 1995, we had zero marketing budget. Like… nothing. But we had to get our name out there, so we got creative! We invented Fone Zone Man. A giant blue and orange octagon with big blue feet and even bigger hands. And guess who had to wear it? My ex-husband. He ran 5-10km fun runs in that thing, handing out lollies, sweating buckets, and making sure everyone saw the Fone Zone name."

Shark Tank Australia's Maxine Horne added:

"At first, it was just an experiment. But then, parents started coming into our stores with their kids, not just to buy phones, but to ask, “Where’s Fone Zone Man?” That’s when it clicked. We hadn’t just made a mascot, we’d made Fone Zone unforgettable. No budget? No problem. You don’t need millions to build awareness you just need to be memorable."

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Shark Tank Australia's Maxine Horne recalls her business startup with her ex-husband and how Fone Zone came into existence

As the female entrepreneur recalled, she and her ex-husband David McMahon started the Fone Zone. However, they faced an issue regarding marketing, as the couple had no budget. To get more consumers to know about their brand and the product, they came up with the idea of having their mascot - Fone Zone Man.

"Fone Zone Man which was a huge blue and orange octagon with big blue feet and big blue hands and then we went about joining the local fun runs and park runs," she stated.

Further, Shark Tank Australia's investor mentioned her ex-husband, who dressed up as the Fone Zone mascot and used to run five Ks and ten Ks in the costume. As he used to hand out lollipops, it worked, as parents started coming with their children and were interested in purchasing phones.

However, when parents used to come with their children, they would ask about the "Fone Zone man," who was her ex-husband under the costume. So, for that, he had to keep wearing the costume and be the Fone Zone Man.

Maxine Horne's LinkedIn profile features her as the founder of Vita Group, private investor, speaker, and advisory board member, among many other achievements.

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Fans can stream Shark Tank Australia on 10 Play and Channel 10.