Inside a $23M Founder-led remineralizing gum on TikTok Shop
December 11, 2025
I love Founder-led shop! And analyzing their success provide a straight-forward playbook other newcomers can seal from.
We previously shared how King Lou Pets and Twinkled T grew by building trust through behind-the-scenes founder content, personal storytelling, and repeatable hooks.
Today, we’re back with another breakout brand, this time it’s Nathan & Sons (@nathan.and.sons), the creator of the world’s first remineralizing chewing gum.
And once again, the pattern holds:
→ Clear founder-led storytelling
→ Consistent content structure
→ A product that solves a real, specific problem
Only this time, the founder, Nathan Mal, doesn’t even show his face on camera.
Instead, he narrates from behind the scenes while taking you step-by-step through the oddly satisfying process of making the gum: pounding, mixing powders, cutting sheets of mineral-rich dough. No trending sounds. No hype. Just first-person POVs, clean narration, and enriched storytelling that makes you want to know more.
The result? A viral sellout that led to millions in GMV and a cult following across TikTok Shop, Etsy, and their site, right in time for TikTok Shop’s US rollout.
Here’s the full breakdown of their content system, why it works, and how new TikTok Shop brands can adapt it.
Background
Nathan & Sons is the maker of Underbrush, the world’s first remineralizing chewing gum – a product that doubles as an easy oral care routine. This small brand blew up thanks to TikTok content: a single video in late 2023 gained over 10 million views, selling out their entire stock.
By leveraging TikTok, Nathan & Sons surpassed $30 million in total sales within about a year. On TikTok Shop, Underbrush quickly became a top seller – in one month it sold 45,100 packs of gum (about $1.39 million GMV).
Current data of Nathan & Sons on TikTok Shop (as of December 87, 2025)
Total GMV: $23.3M
Last 30 days GMV: $687.8K (November 11 to December 7, 2025)
Product units sold: 416.5
Key Lessons from Nathan & Sons’ TikTok Strategy
1. Focus on a hero product & niche problem
The brand centers its message around one product: Underbrush Gum. Every video focuses on this single solution to a specific problem: most chewing gums contain plastic and harmful additives. The content explains why that’s a problem, and how Underbrush solves it with enamel-strengthening minerals and natural ingredients.
Watch the product-focused video
2. Use powerful hooks (Visual & Verbal)
Every video opens with a visual hook: hammering, cutting gum, mixing powders. No trending sounds, just raw ASMR textures and clean narration. The verbal hook is equally strong: "I was disgusted when I found out what's in store-bought gum..." Viewers stop scrolling immediately.
3. Educate before selling
Rather than leading with a product pitch, videos first teach. They expose what’s in typical gum (questionable gum base ingredients, artificial sweeteners), explain the damage to your teeth. They even reply and explain through educational videos why their gum is way more expensive compared to others. This value-first approach makes the eventual CTA more persuasive.
4. Show the process in first-person POV
Almost all content is shot from a first-person angle. Viewers see the gum being made by hand: ingredients boiling, mixed, and made into gum. This builds fascination and trust, letting people feel like insiders to the production.
5. Turn team members into TikTok evangelists
Nathan & Sons encourages employees to run their own TikTok accounts: @matts_gum and @gum.sage. They post explainer videos, reply to comments, and create their own content around the gum. This expands reach and makes the brand feel more human.
Watch Matt reply to a comment via TikTok video
6. Address objections publicly
The gum is premium-priced ($44.99 for 4 packs), so the brand creates videos that explain why. They tackle taste concerns, show side-by-side comparisons, and reply to skeptics with facts and demonstrations all in video format.
Watch the video explaining their pricing
7. Expose counterfeits to build trust
When fake versions of Underbrush appeared, the brand called it out directly. In one video, Nate smashes a counterfeit gum box on camera and explains they history of how others are imitating their product and how to spot the real vs fake.
Watch the video debunking fakes
8. Stay transparent about internal issues
The team doesn’t just show the wins. They post updates about shipping issues, production challenges, and things that go wrong. This transparency builds trust.
Example of being open with their audience about spruce sap
Final Takeaway
Nathan & Sons proves you don’t need flashy edits or face-forward videos to go become profitable on TikTok Shop.
All you need is:
- A hero product
- A clear problem and solution
- First-person visuals + narration
- Transparency and consistency
It’s founder-led storytelling, without the founder ever stepping in front of the camera.
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