How Rhode Skin Is Taking PR & Advertising By Storm

Today, launching a product isn’t just about having something new to sell, it’s about creating a moment. A feeling. A shift in mood that gets people talking, engaging, and most importantly, remembering.

That’s exactly what Rhode Skin delivers with every post.

Rhode doesn’t just put products on the market. It builds anticipation, creates visual stories, sparks trends, and connects to culture in ways that feel effortless, but are anything but accidental. The brand doesn’t wait for attention. It commands it.

The Owner

With Hailey Bieber as its founder and creative director, Rhode benefits from having one of the most influential celebrity figures at its forefront. Her Instagram alone has over 54 million followers, and her ability to inspire trends, from “glazed donut skin” to the “Strawberry Girl” makeup look is unmatched.

But what makes Rhode special is that it doesn’t rely solely on celebrity status. Hailey Bieber didn’t launch the brand and take a seat. She brought in experts to build a long-term business,  including marketing connoisseur Lauren Ratner, who previously led campaigns at Michael Kors and Reformation, and is now the President and Chief Brand Officer at Rhode.

As Ratner told Vogue Business:

“We are building Rhode not following a traditional playbook. We are making decisions that are steeped in data and consumer insights, but they are also intuitive without any preconceived notion of what a launch or product should be.”

That blend of instinct, data, and strong team leadership has allowed Rhode to rise above a saturated space  filled with major names like Fenty, Rare Beauty, and Kylie Cosmetics.

Slow, Strategic, and Wanted

Rather than launching with a massive catalog, Rhode embraced a slow approach debuting with just three products. Each one clean, carefully formulated, and packaged with a minimal, sleek design.

That decision created a sense of intentionality and exclusivity. Less became more. The limited availability generated demand, and gave the brand breathing room to tell its story in full.

It wasn’t rushed. It was refined.

Stories

What makes Rhode stand out is the way it treats every product drop like a full campaign. The visual identity across platforms transforms to reflect the mood. The Instagram feed shifts. The creative direction evolves. Even the logo adapts.

When the Strawberry Glaze Peptide Lip Treatment launched in August 2023, it wasn’t just a new flavor. It was a whole moment. Hailey seeded the “Strawberry Girl” makeup trend weeks before the product even dropped,  laying the groundwork through content and aesthetic cues.

The product, made in collaboration with Krispy Kreme, paid tribute to their retired Strawberry Glazed donut. The partnership brought back the treat, and with it, a campaign complete with strawberry-themed photoshoots, influencer kits, and engaging videos starring Hailey and even Justin Bieber visiting a Krispy Kreme.

The food tie-in made it viral. The visuals made it irresistible. And the strategy made it a standout.

Innovation and Virality

Rhode isn’t just about beauty, it’s about lifestyle. In February 2024, the brand made waves again by releasing a now-iconic lip case, a rubber iPhone case featuring a built-in pocket for lip gloss. A simple idea, executed perfectly.

The product was born from social listening and feedback, proving Rhode doesn’t just follow trends, it listens and solves them. The lip case offered something functional and fashionable, designed for the on-the-go generation that wants beauty and functionality to co-exist.

It sold out almost instantly.

Strategic teasing, influencer partnerships, and Hailey’s own posts fueled the drop. And when the brand restocked it after crazy demand, it started the hype all over again, creating a second wave of buzz without even thinking about paid advertising.

Moments That Stick

Rhode might be social-first, but it knows how to show up in the real world. At Coachella 2024, Rhode has a branded photo booth at the exclusive Revolve Festival. Festivalgoers could snap a photo and walk away with a free Rhode lip tint.

By Coachella 2025, Rhode had only upped this, this time collabing with 818 Tequila to create an elevated photo booth experience. Located once again at Revolve Festival, the booth featured warm sunset tones, tequila-inspired branding, and a new Rhode lip tint exclusive to the event.

The result? A flood of user-generated content, real-time brand exposure, and hundreds of instant brand ambassadors, all for the cost of a lip product and a cool setup. It was simple, strategic, and exactly what Rhode has become known for. 

Rhode also knows how to speak the internet’s language. Alongside polished campaign visuals, their Instagram is filled with relatable IRL content, think blurry selfies, messy lip gloss applications, and everyday, low-effort moments that feel authentic and real. These aren’t just posts, they’re personality snapshots that invite followers to see themselves with the brand, no matter their vibe.

And when it comes to advertising? Rhode taps into sensory storytelling. One standout: the iconic croissant ad for their Peptide Lip Treatment, where the gloss’s shine and texture were compared to the flaky, golden layers of a buttery pastry. It wasn’t just visually satisfying, it triggered a craving. That’s the genius of Rhode’s creative: it activates the senses, evokes emotion, and sticks in your mind long after you scroll past.

Traditional Media 

While Rhode thrives on Instagram and TikTok, it hasn’t abandoned more traditional PR. The brand has had interviews and coverage in major outlets like Vogue, Cosmopolitan, Byrdie, Bloomberg, and even Good Morning America, where Hailey promoted the Strawberry Glaze launch.

This smart media blend helps the brand attract both Gen Z and Millennial audience members.

The Rhode Playbook 

Here’s what marketers, creators, and brand builders can learn from Rhode:

• Launch less, but make it feel like more. Treat every drop like a visual event.

• Use your audience’s behavior to guide decisions. Rhode’s lip case was born from listening, not guessing.

• Create connections through storytelling. Whether it's strawberries or Coachella, Rhode always gives us a narrative.

• Collaborate in unexpected ways. A Krispy Kreme partnership may not be obvious, but it was genius.

• Balance online virality with offline experiences. Photo booths, pop-ups, and press interviews all feed into their virality.

Aesthetic-Driven Strategy Is the Future

Rhode isn’t just a skincare brand. It’s a modern blueprint for how to build a brand that people don’t just buy into, they feel emotionally connected to.

Every launch becomes an event. Every product becomes a part of a bigger story. And every piece of content contributes to an experience that feels creative, stylish, and well thought-out.

That’s what makes Rhode different.

They’re not just selling skincare. They’re building moments, memories, and meaning, one branded drop at a time.