Key Takeaways
- Flodstrom opted out of college to focus on making music and other art.
- His pill bottle side table went viral on social media and led to a NO LOGO partnership.
- Now, Flodstrom is leaning into the momentum and brainstorming additional products.
Growing up, Oskar Flodstrom always loved to draw and create. But he didn’t think being an artist was a realistic profession. He considered becoming an engineer, hoping it might give him a creative outlet.
“But then I found out what an engineer actually was, and it was kind of sad to me,” Flodstrom, 23 years old and based in Los Angeles, California, tells Entrepreneur.
The pandemic interrupted Flodstrom’s senior year of high school. He decided against college; he didn’t have the money for it or think it would help him with his artistic pursuits. Inspired by the U.S. record producer and DJ then known as Kenny Beats, Flodstrom started making music.
“There is something to be said about being a self-starter and having that courage,” Flodstrom says. “It doesn’t give you the immediate return on investment. People kind of think you’re an idiot for a bit.”
Teaching swim lessons to pay the bills, making art on the side
Flodstrom taught swim lessons to pay the bills and worked on his art on the side.
One day, with little extra cash to decorate his apartment, he was scrolling Facebook Marketplace for free items. That’s when he stumbled upon a clear, rounded acrylic base — and thought he could use it to craft a piece of furniture.
Flodstrom didn’t have a car at the time, so he took a bus to pick up the piece and lugged it back to his apartment.
“ I didn’t touch it for months, honestly,” Flodstrom recalls. “It was just sitting there. I did kind of know I wanted to make it [in the shape of] a pill bottle. I was going to either use wood or something else for the top. I finally just used foam.”
Bringing the Facebook Marketplace find to life: the pill bottle
He brought the pill bottle piece to life earlier this year. It didn’t cost much. The base from Facebook Marketplace was free, after all, and Flodstrom estimates he spent about $120 all-in for the rest of the materials: foam, paint, paper for the label. Flodstrom thinks his unassuming presence helped, too.
“The Staples guy was pretty cool,” he says. “I don’t think I come off very presumptuous, so I think sometimes people want to help me, maybe. I got that label for like 12 bucks, printed big. Usually it’s supposed to be $30.”
Flodstrom considered putting the pill bottle table in the background of one of his music videos. But then he got the idea to capture the creative process on video and post it on social media, where he goes by Erik Oskr.
Flodstrom had posted videos featuring his work in the past, even selling a chair reminiscent of an avocado for about $500. He’d found the base for free outside, noting a lot of people in LA leave items on the street when they move.
The pill bottle table went viral and led to a collaboration
The pill bottle was an instant hit. Flodstrom’s video went viral this past June and caught the attention of NO LOGO, a company that works with founders and brands to manufacture products without building factories of their own.
Flodstrom took NO LOGO up on its offer to make a free sample based on his photos and measurements. They agreed to change the material for the lid to make it more stable. The company also helped him set up a Shopify website.
When NO LOGO delivered the sample, Flodstrom was in between places, living out of a car he’d purchased. A company representative asked him if he’d do an interview about his creation, and he agreed, not thinking much would come of it.
He still didn’t know how well the pill bottle side table would sell. He hoped it might make enough money for him to get into an apartment.
A slow start — then 1 million views per minute and 200 sales
With the sample made and ready to sell, Flodstrom began work on more videos to promote the piece on social media.
The process got off to a shaky start. Instagram AI flagged the video because the pill bottle had an “Adderall” label. Flodstrom thought day one would be big, netting at least 10 to 15 sales. Thirty-six hours later, only a couple of sales had trickled in.
“I was kind of panicking because the first couple of videos hadn’t done well,” he recalls.
Flodstrom decided to get creative again and record a different use case for the pill bottle side table — as a laundry basket.
“ I made that little video of me using it as a hamper,” Flodstrom says, “and I’ve still never seen Instagram do that, one million views per hour for like 10 hours straight. It was crazy. 200 sales. Still, I don’t think I’ve fully grasped it.”
The pill bottle piece grossed $150,000 in sales in 2 weeks
The product grossed $150,000 in sales within two weeks. Sales have remained relatively steady, typically between $1,500 and $4,000 a day, depending on ad push. Of that, NO LOGO takes a low cut to cover manufacturing costs, Flodstrom says. He estimates his margin is about five times larger.
Now, Flodstrom looks forward to developing more products and scaling his business.
The young entrepreneur hasn’t changed his lifestyle drastically just yet, though at the time of this interview, he was days away from moving into his new place. Flodstrom wants to make sure his recent success isn’t just a flash in the pan.
“ I don’t really want to be known as the pill bottle guy,” Flodstrom says. “I wanted that to be the start, but I have a bunch of cool ideas. A giant razor blade mirror that’s going to come out soon. A lava lamp out of a Sprite bottle. I just made a bong out of a milk jug.”
Additionally, he’s trying to keep the momentum up on social media, across TikTok, Instagram and YouTube, and take advantage of affiliate opportunities. He also intends to experiment with streaming, which has the potential to drive more revenue.
Flodstrom doesn’t claim to have everything figured out, but he’s doing his best to build a real business around his art, which he’s never done before.
“ I don’t feel like an artistic genius by any means,” Flodstrom says. “I still want to prove myself in that realm. So I don’t even know what to say most of the time. It feels like a fantasy. A daydream.”
Key Takeaways
- Flodstrom opted out of college to focus on making music and other art.
- His pill bottle side table went viral on social media and led to a NO LOGO partnership.
- Now, Flodstrom is leaning into the momentum and brainstorming additional products.
Growing up, Oskar Flodstrom always loved to draw and create. But he didn’t think being an artist was a realistic profession. He considered becoming an engineer, hoping it might give him a creative outlet.
“But then I found out what an engineer actually was, and it was kind of sad to me,” Flodstrom, 23 years old and based in Los Angeles, California, tells Entrepreneur.
The pandemic interrupted Flodstrom’s senior year of high school. He decided against college; he didn’t have the money for it or think it would help him with his artistic pursuits. Inspired by the U.S. record producer and DJ then known as Kenny Beats, Flodstrom started making music.