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In August 2023, Glossy was the first to report that Rhode was closing in on selling its first million tubes of its Peptide Lip Treatment, the skin care-enhanced lip balm for which Hailey Bieber’s brand has become best known. At $16, that meant the single SKU had already earned the brand $16 million. It launched with three “flavors”: unscented, watermelon and salted caramel. It then got people hooked by making new variants feel like collectibles, much like like Pokémon or, more precisely, Bonne Bell Lip Smackers. But Rhode is not the first to make flavored lip balms a thing in recent times — Summer Fridays is thriving there, too. See: the recent launch of a birthday cake flavor timed to the brand’s sixth birthday.
And, as anyone with social media already knows, Rhode is continuing to find new ways to keep fans excited about the seemingly simple product. For nearly a month, Bieber has had her 51 million Instagram followers, and Rhode’s 1.3 million, in a tailspin over a phone case designed specifically to hold the Peptide Lip Treatment. Having proven herself — or at least the team she’s hired — to be savvy marketers, it only makes sense that the arrival of the $35 “Lip Case” will be timed to the restock of the brand’s four tinted Peptide Lip Treatments, on February 27. They’ve been out of stock since launching in September 2023. To be clear, the Lip Tints are a separate purchase; a phone case and lip tint combo will set Bieber fans back $51. That said, popular brands like Casetify and Flaunt, the latter known for its square phone cases, are also priced in the $40-$50 range, sans lip balm.
Between the initial tease of the case on February 4 and its for-sale date next week, the Lip Case will have had more major moments than most products ever see. Bieber whipped it out at the Super Bowl, which the brand posted footage of. The Instagram post was captioned, “mid-game touch up 👀📱🎀✨ @haileybieber.” And, on Valentine’s Day, when Bieber promoted her new Strawberry Glaze Soft Serve collab with Erewhon, purchasers had the chance to scratch to win gifts from Rhode, one of which was the Lip Case.
As with anything Bieber does — see: “strawberry makeup” or “chocolate syrup hair” — the phone case set the Internet abuzz. This newsletter first reported on the mainstreaming of marketing in 2022, calling out the fact that, on TikTok, what may once have been considered “inside baseball” marketing talk is now fodder for popular content — the strategy behind the phone case is no exception.
TikTok was quickly flooded with opinions. For starters, people were disappointed that the case was only available for the iPhone 14 and 15. In one TikTok with over 85,000 likes, user Sidney Cooper posted about the possibility of buying a new $1,000 iPhone to be able to get in on the phone case. Others offered ways to hack the system with DIY versions of the case. And others suggested that it was somehow engineered to create a heat barrier between the phone and the lip balm to eliminate the potential for product “grittiness,” an ongoing complaint about this particular product. I clocked complaints about its practicality — it is not Mag-Safe compatible, for example. Were there accusations of copycatting? Yes. Was its look compared to a vagina? Yes. Was it a brilliant marketing strategy that increased brand affinity and AOV? Also yes. Rhode did not respond to a request for comment in time for publication.
By February 14, 48-year-old Benefit Cosmetics, which has 9.9 million followers on Instagram and 589,000 on TikTok, posted a video in which it taped its iconic Benetint to a phone, ribbing at Rhode’s soon-to-launch case. Soon after, dozens of brands made similar videos featuring their own products. Colourpop stitched Benefit, writing, “We see your lip phone case, and we raise you… a lip AND cheek phone case 💖🎀.” Benefit cheekily responded, “All rhodes lead to innovation 💭.” One commenter wrote, “I can’t tell if they’re laughing with Hailey or laughing at her. …” Meanwhile, Hilma, a “clean” supplements brand, taped a bottle of its Gas + Bloat Relief supplement to a phone, writing “For the gassy girl on the go 🏃♀️ 💨.”
While these posts are jokes, it seems plausible that Rhode’s case will represent the start of a trend. After all, according to a recent Milwaukee broadcast news report, 79% of Gen Zers use digital wallets and think physical wallets are “lame.” The days of “phone, wallet keys” are gone. Enter: phone, lip balm, go. Or, as Rhode’s copy puts it: “Text. Treat. Tint.”
Kira Jackson, an investor and head of partnerships at investment firm RX3 Growth, shared her thoughts on the Lip Case with Glossy, expanding upon her post with over 1.1 million views. “I’m the kind of girl who doesn’t carry a bag. So, when I saw it, I was like, ‘Why is every brand not doing this?'” Jackson said. “[For Rhode], it’s an incredible product for expanding cart size and driving retention for people who’ve been collecting these lip glosses. They buy every color, [they] want to show it off and it becomes a part of their personality,” Jackson said.
The potential downsides, she said, “are what people are talking about on TikTok and Reddit: People see it as wasteful. They see it as the height of consumerism, an unnecessary addition. … You could say a lot of those things about industry innovation, in general, though.”
Jackson noted that the quality of the product will be crucial to its success beyond the initial buzz. “If the [component] that holds your gloss expands and stretches and it no longer holds it, people are gonna be disappointed.”
It seems inevitable that, come Tuesday at 9 a.m. PST, this thing will sell out nearly instantaneously, alongside all four colors of the tinted Peptide Lip Treatment. A few years ago, Burt’s Bees offered a PopSocket filled with its signature lip balm that comparatively flew under the radar. Still, it wasn’t minimally colored, per the look du jour, and stamped with Ms. Bieber’s seal of approval. It’s that ineffable cool factor that has sustained the excitement around Rhode since its June 2022 launch.
Spate Trend Watch: Airport hairstyles are a thing now, according to TikTok
TikTok’s airport hairstyles have become a sensation, garnering over 89,000 average weekly views, an increase of 306% month-over-month. These videos showcase comfortable hairstyles designed to endure long flights, while also combating the unpleasant effects of recycled air and dehydration.
From twist braids to a slicked-back bun, TikTokers are highlighting looks suitable for catching some in-flight sleep without compromising on style. The emphasis is on quick, easy and fresh looks that cater to the airport rush and often incorporate hair claws and hair ties. Videos also often demonstrate heatless curls, which are achievable mid-flight, ensuring a fabulous look upon landing. In addition, TikTokers share their hacks for maintaining a healthy blowout even on a nine-hour flight, addressing the challenges of cabin dryness and the lack of available tools.
“It’s not just about the big moments like weddings or proms anymore. Now, it’s about finding that spark for even the mundane activities like gearing up for a trip to the airport. This showcases a desire for practical yet stylish solutions on the go — convenience without compromising style. Brands can capitalize on this trend by offering on-the-fly beauty products catering to the diverse needs of consumers, whether they’re jet-setting or running a quick errand,” said Yarden Horwitz, co-founder of Spate.
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