Jayson Tatum-Backed Onside Launches at Target as Men’s Care Moves Toward Performance

Onside’s launch reflects two parallel trends: men are becoming more engaged consumers of personal care, and athletes are embracing wellness brands

The men’s personal care aisle is starting to look more like the fitness and wellness market. What was once framed largely around grooming and hygiene is increasingly being repositioned around recovery and self-investment.

Onside, a new men’s personal care brand backed by NBA All-Star Jayson Tatum, is launching exclusively at Target. Its proposition is built less around traditional grooming and more around body care for active men.

For Tatum, the partnership was rooted in a category that already felt connected to his own routines off the court.

“It was the first time for me that I was able to enter the space of skincare and grooming,” the six-time NBA All-Star told Athletech News. “Those closest to me know how much pride I take in self-care, skincare and presenting myself.”

Onside’s launch reflects two parallel trends: men are becoming more engaged consumers of personal care, and athletes are becoming more selective business partners, often seeking roles that go beyond visibility and into product input, equity and brand-building.

Tatum said his involvement with Onside has been in development for roughly two and a half to three years. During that time, he tested products at home and gave feedback on body spray, aluminum-free deodorant, body wash, lotion and face cleanser.

“My favorite part was testing out all the scents and saying what I liked and what we could mix,” he said. “That was cool, being a part of that process.”

Onside’s initial assortment is anchored by three hero products: a hybrid body spray, aluminum-free deodorant and body wash. Each comes in two scents, santal leather and eucalyptus mint, and is formulated for what the brand calls “skin in motion,” targeting the sweat, friction and daily activity that come with active lifestyles.

Onside founder Bradley Churchill created the brand to challenge a category that he says has often forced consumers into a narrow choice between functional but uninspired products and lifestyle brands that prioritize image over performance.

“Onside was founded to challenge the idea that personal care has to fit into one of two categories: either highly functional products with little personality whilst being highly priced, or lifestyle influencer brands that prioritize marketing over performance,” Churchill told ATN. “We saw an opportunity to create a brand that delivers premium-quality formulations while building a community and identity that people genuinely want to be part of.”

The market is crowded, but Onside is betting that men’s personal care is still underdeveloped relative to the way male consumers now think about wellness. According to NielsenIQ data, men’s personal care is up 6.9% year-over-year, with body fragrance among the fastest-growing segments.

Affordability was especially important to Tatum, who said he did not want to be attached to a product his fans could not realistically buy.

“You don’t want to look at your favorite athlete create something that you can’t afford,” Tatum said. “Athletes creating or aligning themselves with certain partners and brands is like a bridge to their fans or people that are drawn to them, and I think this connects the gap in a certain way.”

Churchill said Onside sees whitespace between legacy personal care brands that have not kept pace with the consumer and newer brands that may have cultural relevance but lack scale, retail accessibility or credibility.

“We believe Onside is uniquely positioned because we’ve built the brand around a clear mission: helping people invest in themselves through simple, effective daily routines,” he said. “Our retail partnerships, product quality and focus on community-building allow us to connect with consumers in a more meaningful way than traditional personal care brands.”

Onside is also launching into a market where male athletes, entertainers and fitness figures are increasingly being used to give personal care brands credibility with consumers who may not respond to traditional beauty marketing.

Pharrell Williams’ Humanrace has expanded from skincare into body-focused recovery products, while Grown Alchemist recently named Aarmy co-founder Akin Akman as its first North American brand ambassador alongside the launch of a targeted body care range.

Caldera + Lab, a performance-oriented men’s skincare brand, has leaned into relationships with figures such as former NFL player Tony Gonzalez and actor Frank Grillo while scaling across premium retail. The brand raised $6 million in Series A funding in 2024 and recently expanded into Nordstrom, reflecting the growing investor and retail interest in men’s prestige skincare.

“This isn’t something I’m just putting my name to,” Tatum said of his partnership with Onside. “This is something that I’ve actively been involved with. I’m really passionate about this brand and this company, and I hope that when consumers buy the product and use it, they feel that there was a lot of thought and effort put into this.”