Case Study: Byarianna.art – A Journey from Scratch to $1M in Sales

Some projects are born out of meticulous planning, while others emerge from unexpected turns. Byarianna.art was one of the latter. It started with an idea—a completely different one—that we quickly realized wouldn’t work. The market was saturated, dominated by big players, and breaking through seemed nearly impossible.

But that so-called mistake turned out to be a blessing in disguise. It led us to an untapped niche: the world of custom art fans.

We noticed something intriguing—people adored personalized artwork in the style of their favorite cartoons. At the time, Simpson-style portraits were a massive hit, but we saw an opportunity beyond that. There were countless cartoon styles yet to be explored, and we wanted to approach it differently—not just as a business but as an art-driven venture.

Our vision? If we were going to do this, we wanted to do it right: only Italian artists, a fully custom experience, and an artistic approach that set us apart.

Building the Team

We began by recruiting young designers from comic schools in Italy, and the response was overwhelming. Talented artists flooded in, eager to be part of the project. After weeks of reviewing portfolios and testing their skills, we handpicked 14 artists to kick off the journey.

Finding the Winning Niche

We experimented with different cartoon styles—Family Guy, Naruto, Pokémon, and more. Each had its appeal, but one niche stood out by far: Pokémon-style portraits.

The concept was simple yet magical. Clients would describe their dream portrait, send us photos of themselves and their pets, and we would transform them into stunning Pokémon-style artwork. The demand surged, and we were onto something big.

The Game-Changing Discovery

But then came a pivotal moment—one that changed everything.

A customer sent us an email with a request: “Can you make my pet into a Pokémon card?”

Boom. That was it.

This insight came straight from our audience, and it was golden. The best ideas often come from listening, and that’s why I handled all customer support myself in the early days. That’s where the gold is.

Scaling Up

Working closely with our artists, we designed the perfect Pokémon card template and launched the product. Then, in mid-August 2021, the orders started to flood in. A few weeks later, we were in the middle of a sales explosion.

By Q4, things got crazy—our sales skyrocketed, and by the end of the year, we had reached $700K. In just 18 months, we had hit our ultimate goal: $1M in sales.

Collaborating with the Los Angeles Children’s Hospital

One of the most rewarding aspects of our journey was our partnership with the Los Angeles Children’s Hospital. As part of our mission to spread joy through art, we offered free Pokémon-style portraits and cards for children and their pets. This initiative brought smiles to so many faces, and we couldn’t be prouder of the impact we made.

The Secret Behind the Conversions

Now, you’re probably wondering—what kind of creatives did we use to drive those sales?

Here’s the truth: our ads weren’t fancy. In fact, they were simple—maybe even ugly. But did they convert? Absolutely.

The lesson? Over-polished doesn’t always mean effective. The right message, the right audience, and the right product will always win.

This IMG alone generated more than 5K orders

The Future of Custom Art

AI has undoubtedly changed the game, making digital art more accessible and automated than ever. But we still believe in the magic of human-made art. There’s something special about a piece crafted by an actual artist—something that AI can’t replicate. And that’s what keeps Byarianna.art alive and thriving.

What a ride it’s been—and it’s just the beginning.