ABC’s popular Shark Tank Season 16 returned with another episode on November 8, 2024. The fourth episode of the reality show featured many exciting ideas and upcoming brands. One of them was Moonies, a swimwear brand for men’s clothing. The unique thing about this brand was that it had a patented cut-out in the rear end of men’s briefs.
As the Moonies’ founders Karisa Winkel and McKay shared, their brand was offering a “cleavage” for guys. They envisioned that they would “revolutionize” men’s swimwear with a unique fashion.
They pitched their “totally unique” element added to the men’s briefs. They aimed to shift how everyone looks at men’s fashion, especially swimwear. Karisa and McKay’s initial ask was $150,000 for 35% equity in their company.
Even though the duo shared a unique product with never-before-seen features in men’s swimwear, they failed to impress sharks on Shark Tank Season 16. However, Kevin O’Leary initially offered to purchase their patent, but it didn’t work out as Kevin did not accept their counteroffer.
McKay and Karisa Winkel’s Moonies on Shark Tank Season 16: Details explored
Aired on November 8, 2024, Shark Tank Season 16 Episode 4 featured a men’s swimwear brand, Moonies. The founders, McKay and Karisa Winkel, pitched their brand as “innovative swimwear.” They mentioned how they crafted the unique clothing brand for male users looking for “some extra attention.”
The duo shared their brand’s men’s wear. Briefs, in particular, have a “viewing window” on the back that shows skin. Moonies offer many patterns and colors, including rainbow stripes, checkerboards, and more. Additionally, their products are made from eco-friendly materials.
Creating such a “unique” product was to offer a uniquely interesting product. While reminiscing about the brand’s origin, the couple shared how, 18 years ago, McKay wanted to come out on top at the “Stud of the Lake” competition.
To do that, he crafted a unique swimsuit with an open window cut that shows more of the lower backside. Karisa put together clear plastic in the “window” space to cover that. Since then, seeing the swimsuit’s popularity among family and friends, the duo decided to do something about it.
As featured on Shark Tank Season 16, the Moonies swimsuits cost around $45 for a pair and are sold via their website. Users can opt for various unique types of men’s swimwear, available in many combinations and designs.
While two male models came on stage, wearing the product, Sharks could not resist laughing. McKay and Karisa called it a product that gets “heads turned” and makes people smile. They even mentioned various activities where Moonies swimwear could be worn, including yoga sessions, beach, and volleyball games.
What did the Sharks think of Moonies?
As Robert Herjavec mentioned, in his 16 years on Shark Tank, he had never encountered such a product. Daniel Lubetzky asked McKay and Karisa Winkel to share the backstory, which they did.
When they faced questions about finances, they shared that they were keeping their business under wraps to prevent the mass production of their unique product.
Additionally, the couple mentioned how they obtained the patent before their pitch on Shark Tank Season 16. Later, they revealed that they made $1000 in sales for the briefs, which cost them $12.50 and were sold for $40.
Mark Cuban was not interested in the investment idea because he thought it was not a “fit area” for his investment. Shark Lori mentioned that the founders might not have spent enough on marketing, hence the lack of potential buyers. Daniel and Robert were also out.
Shark Kevin offered to sell the patent to him for $150,000, which McKay and Karisa asked to raise to a $5 royalty for each product sold. Kevin refused the counteroffer, which was for $500k. As a result, Moonies’ founders, McKay and Karisa Winkel, left the show empty-handed.
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Fans can stream Shark Tank Season 16 on ABC. The latest episodes of the reality show air every Friday.
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