How Rhode Became a Billion-Dollar Brand in Three Years: The Sensory Design Strategy That Changed Everything
The $1 Billion Question
In May 2025, e.l.f. Beauty acquired Rhode for $1 billion.
Three years. Ten products. $212 million in annual revenue.
The e.l.f. CEO admitted: “In less than three years, they’ve gone from zero to $212 million in net sales, direct-to-consumer only, with only 10 products. I didn’t think that was possible.”
Most people assumed it was celebrity power. Hailey Bieber’s 55.5 million Instagram followers and marriage to Justin Bieber gave her instant visibility. But that’s not why Rhode succeeded.
Fenty has Rihanna. Rare has Selena Gomez. Kylie Cosmetics has Kylie Jenner. They all have massive star power.
What Rhode figured out was different. They didn’t just make products people wanted to buy. They made products people couldn’t help but post about.
This is the story of how sensory design became marketing strategy — and turned a skincare brand into a billion-dollar empire.
The Beginning: A Trademark Rejection That Changed Everything
- Hailey tried to trademark “Bieber Beauty.”
Rejected. Justin had already filed the trademark in 2010.
She pivoted to her middle name: Rhode.
That rejection was a blessing. “Bieber Beauty” would have tied her to a married name — the same trap that caught Kim Kardashian when she had to rebrand KKW Beauty after her divorce from Kanye West.
Rhode was cleaner. Simpler. Timeless.
It matched the minimalist aesthetic she’d been building on social media for years. The “glazed donut skin” look. The “clean girl” aesthetic. The effortlessly dewy, glowing complexion.
She spent three years working on formulas before launching a single product.
The Product Development: Premium Quality at Accessible Pricing
Hailey partnered with cosmetic chemist Dr. Ron Robinson and dermatologist Dr. Dhaval Bhanusali.
17 versions of the Peptide Lip Treatment before they got it right.
The formulas weren’t revolutionary. Peptides for skin firming. Ceramides for barrier repair. Niacinamide for brightness. Ingredients you’d find in luxury products priced at $100+.
But Rhode priced everything under $30.
“I just don’t see why a $200 cream has to be the answer to good skin,” Hailey said in interviews.
Premium ingredients. Clinical-grade formulations. Dermatologist-tested. But accessible.
June 15, 2022. Rhode launched with three products:
- Peptide Glazing Fluid
- Barrier Restore Cream
- Peptide Lip Treatment
All three sold out within three days. 440,000 people on the waitlist.
Within 11 days, Rhode hit $10 million in sales.
The Sensory Design Revolution: Products as Content
This is where Rhode changed the game.
Most brands design products for functionality. Rhode designed products to become content.
The Phone Case Strategy
They made a phone case with a magnetic slot for their lip gloss.
Think about that for a second.
Your phone is with you 24/7. On your desk. In your hand. In every mirror selfie. Every Instagram story. Every TikTok.
The Rhode phone case turned your most-used object into a billboard.
Generated $8.3 million in earned media value. 31.9% engagement rate on Instagram.
Zero paid ads. Just smart product design.
Hailey “soft-launched” it on her Instagram. Fans spotted it and started speculating. A week later, it dropped for $38 (lip gloss included) and became the must-have it-girl accessory.
It popped up everywhere. Unboxing videos. GRWM content. Mirror selfies. Clipped onto outfits like jewelry.
The phone case wasn’t just packaging. It was product placement in your own life.
The Food Marketing Strategy
Rhode named products after desserts. But they didn’t stop at names.
Cinnamon Roll Lip Tint smells like actual fresh bakery cinnamon rolls. For Hailey’s birthday launch, they sent influencers the product with real cinnamon rolls from bakeries.
Of course they posted it.
Krispy Kreme “Strawberry Glaze” launched when Krispy Kreme had strawberry donuts. Not a paid partnership. Just perfect timing playing off her “glazed donut skin” aesthetic that had been trending for months.
People lined up at Krispy Kreme posting both the donut and the lip gloss.
Every shade paired with actual food. Coffee sent with the Espresso shade. Berries with Raspberry Jelly. Watermelon slices with the summer collection.
Made you crave makeup like you crave dessert.
Rhode wasn’t using food metaphors. They were triggering actual sensory associations.
The Pocket Blush: Design for Visibility
$26.4 million in earned media value. 6.3% engagement across 1.2K posts.
Highest beauty product launch of 2024.
Made it tiny on purpose. Pocket-sized. So you’d carry it everywhere and constantly pull it out in public.
Launched in summer when “dewy, blushy skin” was trending everywhere. Perfect timing.
The compact had that satisfying magnetic click. Soft matte texture. Every tactile detail engineered for ASMR content.
The Sensory Marketing Blueprint: Five Senses Through a Screen
You can’t smell a serum through your screen. You can’t touch a cream through Instagram. You can’t taste a lip gloss through TikTok.
But Rhode makes you think you can.
Sight: Creamy textures that look edible. Dewy finishes that look wet. Product photography with actual food — berries, coffee, pastries. Close-up shots showcasing textures.
Sound: ASMR unboxing videos. The satisfying click of magnetic closures. Soft-launch teasers in Hailey’s stories.
Smell: Food-scented products. Cinnamon rolls. Vanilla. Strawberry glaze. Names that trigger olfactory memories.
Touch: Soft matte finishes. Magnetic closures. Compact satisfaction. Lightweight formulas that feel luxurious.
Taste: Visual associations with desserts. Food pairings. Names like “Espresso” and “Raspberry Jelly” that make you hungry.
Rhode’s pop-up experiences extended this sensory immersion to real life. They served cinnamon chai at events. Set up brown velvet photobooths. Curated playlists. Made shopping feel like an experience, not a transaction.
The Coachella photobooth inside Kendall’s 818 Tequila outpost had no Rhode branding screaming at you. Just a cool experience where people naturally grabbed Rhode products for touch-ups before photos.
Free experience. Massive reach. All organic.
The Branding: Minimalist, But Make It Addictive
Rhode’s aesthetic is instantly recognizable.
Soft grays, creams, and pastels. Bold, clean typography. Matte packaging. Minimalist design that photographs perfectly.
But here’s the genius: they switch their Instagram feed colors to match product drops.
Yellow for Pineapple Cleanser. Pink for Jelly Bean Lip Tint. Brown for Cinnamon Roll Lip Tint. White for Barrier Butter.
Every launch feels like a curated event. The pop-ups echo these digital visuals in real life. The 2024 New York event featured a fully yellow booth for the Pocket Blush drop, with matching merchandise, decor, and staff uniforms.
The packaging itself is merch-worthy. Pastel-hued boxes. Reusable pouches. Collectable travel cases. All designed to be posted.
Lauren Ratner, Rhode’s President and Chief Brand Officer (previously at Reformation and Michael Kors), explained their approach: “We created this brand that is minimalist and disciplined, but there is freedom in it and a playful youthfulness that allows us to bring in color and do really exciting things.”
The “Less Is More” Strategy: 10 Products, Billion-Dollar Impact
Rhode launched with 3 products. Three years later, they have only 10 core products (plus limited editions and accessories).
This wasn’t a limitation. It was strategy.
The “skinimalism” trend was exploding on TikTok. Gen Z and Millennials wanted fewer, better products. Not 47-step routines. Not overwhelming options.
Just essentials that work.
Rhode gave them exactly that.
Each product launch was an event. Not a drop in an endless catalog. Each product earned its place. Had its moment. Created its own hype.
The Peptide Lip Treatment consistently emerged as Rhode’s top-selling product. On track to sell its millionth unit by year two.
This “essentials-only” approach created several advantages:
- Clarity for customers — No decision paralysis. Each product solves a specific need.
- Focus for marketing — More resources to perfect messaging and visuals for each product.
- Scarcity-fueled hype — Limited releases feel exclusive. Create urgency.
- Quality over quantity — Every formula could be perfected. Every launch could be major.
Hailey stayed deeply involved. “I’m a crazy perfectionist about formulas,” she admitted. When they added color to the Peptide Lip Treatment to create makeup, she thought it would be easy — just add pigment, right?
Took months. She wouldn’t compromise the texture people loved.
“I wanted only essentials. If I was stranded on a desert island, what could I not live without?”
That thinking shows in every product.
The Founder-Led Advantage: Hailey IS the Brand
Most celebrity brands use the founder’s name for initial visibility, then fade into corporate beauty.
Rhode did the opposite.
Hailey stayed Chief Creative Officer after the e.l.f. acquisition. Head of Innovation. Testing every product. Appearing in content. Sharing her routine.
Her “glazed donut skin” went viral months before Rhode existed. She’d been building this aesthetic for years. The dewy, glowing, minimalist look. The “clean girl” vibe.
When Rhode launched, people didn’t need convincing. They already wanted what she had. She just packaged it.
Her GRWM (Get Ready With Me) videos felt authentic. Not ads. Just her actual routine. The products blended naturally into her content.
Her Instagram essentially became a Rhode commercial. But it never felt forced.
This “founder-led branding” model created trust through transparency and narrative. When your founder is the aesthetic, you don’t need aggressive marketing.
The community felt like insiders. Not targets of advertising.
The Social-First Strategy: Organic Growth at Scale
Rhode became the #1 skincare brand in earned media value in 2024.
367% year-over-year growth (CreatorIQ data).
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45% increase in earned media driven by influencers and organic posts. All unpaid.
Total earned media value in 2024: $248 million.
Zero traditional advertising spend.
How?
1. User-Generated Content as Strategy
Rhode encouraged customers to share their experiences. Hashtags like #RhodeSkin and trends created a sense of belonging.
The brand frequently reposted customer content. Created a feedback loop. Customers felt seen.
Hailey herself shared her own routines and experiments. Like mixing Rhode products together. Made it feel collaborative, not corporate.
2. Strategic Influencer Gifting
Rhode didn’t do mass gifting. They hand-picked creators aligned with their aesthetic.
Beauty editors at top publications. A-list influencers who fit the clean girl vibe. Gen Z micro-creators who loved skincare.
The cinnamon rolls with Cinnamon Roll Lip Tint. The food pairings. The curated packages that felt special.
These weren’t PR boxes. They were experiences worth posting about.
3. Soft Launches and Waitlists
Rhode teased products in Hailey’s stories. Soft-launched in her content. Let eagle-eyed fans spot things first.
Built waitlists before products even dropped. Made people feel like insiders.
On launch day, emails went out with sharp timing and strong creative. Subscribers already felt connected.
The waitlist wasn’t just a form. It was the first step in the customer journey.
4. Collaborative Campaigns
The Erewhon “Hailey Bieber Smoothie” blended wellness with beauty. $20 smoothie with hyaluronic acid and collagen. Posted everywhere.
The Krispy Kreme collab generated millions of impressions with zero ads.
The Claudia Schiffer collaboration at the London pop-up created a media frenzy. Covered by Elle, Vogue, and thousands of TikTok creators.
These weren’t paid partnerships. They were cultural moments.
The Market Opportunity: Riding the Right Trends at the Right Time
Rhode launched when several massive trends converged:
1. The Clean Girl Aesthetic
Minimalist beauty. Dewy skin. Natural glow. “No-makeup makeup.” Rhode embodied this completely.
2. Skinimalism
Fewer products. Better quality. Simplified routines. Rhode’s limited lineup was perfect timing.
3. TikTok Beauty Culture
Short-form video. GRWM content. Product reviews. Unboxing. Rhode was “TikTok native” from day one.
4. Gen Z Values
Authenticity over perfection. Transparency. Clean ingredients. Cruelty-free. Vegan. Sustainable packaging. Rhode checked every box.
5. Founder-Led Brands
Gen Z doesn’t trust faceless corporations. They want founders who actually build. Hailey’s visible involvement was key.
The market data backed this up. The global skincare market was valued at $115.65 billion in 2024, projected to reach $194.05 billion by 2032 (Fortune Business Insights).
In a survey of 268 Gen Z respondents by Intersect, 86% cited “branding and marketing” as the reason they were drawn to Rhode.
Not the products. The brand experience.
The Challenges: Controversy Didn’t Kill the Hype
Rhode faced real obstacles.
Copyright lawsuits from a fashion brand also named Rhode.
Negative reviews for some products. The Patchouli Glow sunscreen oil got criticism for oily consistency.
Inclusivity concerns. When influencer Golloria George criticized the Pocket Blush for looking “ashy” on darker skin tones, many brands would have ignored it.
Rhode didn’t.
They reached out to Golloria directly. Reformulated the product. Released new shades specifically for darker complexions.
“This is why you advocate for yourself,” Golloria said. “You see what happens whenever you’re not complacent? And that’s what we call redemption.”
Instead of preserving brand image by suppressing complaints, Hailey used feedback as an opportunity to fortify inclusivity.
The community stayed loyal through controversies. Not just because of products. Because of emotional connection.
The Billion-Dollar Lesson: Product Design IS Marketing
Most brands think:
- Make product
- Market product
- Sell product
Rhode flipped it:
- Design product to become content
- Let customers market it
- Sales happen naturally
The phone case lives on your desk. Billboard placement 24/7.
The blush fits in your pocket. Constant visibility in public.
The lip tint smells like food you crave. Sensory trigger every time.
The packaging photographs perfect. Instagram-ready by design.
The colors change with every drop. Each launch feels like an event.
The pop-ups aren’t stores. They’re experiences.
Every single element engineered to naturally end up posted.
That’s not marketing strategy. That’s product design as marketing.
e.l.f.’s acquisition validated this approach. They didn’t just buy a product line. They bought a playbook for how modern beauty brands should work.
Hailey continues as Chief Creative Officer and Head of Innovation. Rhode’s essence stays intact while gaining e.l.f.’s global distribution and resources.
“We can’t wait to bring Rhode to more faces, places, and spaces,” Hailey said about the acquisition. “From day one, my vision has been to make essential skincare and hybrid makeup you can use every day.”
What Other Brands Can Learn from Rhode
1. Design for Shareability First
Before asking “Does this work?” ask “Will people want to post this?”
Product design. Packaging design. Experience design. All should be Instagram-ready.
2. Activate All Five Senses (Even Digitally)
Rhode proved you can trigger smell, touch, and taste through screens. Use food associations. Tactile descriptions. ASMR elements.
3. Make Products Part of Daily Life
The phone case strategy is genius because phones go everywhere. What’s the equivalent for your product category?
4. Less Products, More Impact
You don’t need 100 SKUs. You need 10 perfect ones that each create their own hype.
5. Founder-Led Beats Celebrity-Endorsed
People can smell a cash grab. If the founder actually builds and stays involved, it shows.
6. Build Community, Not Just Customers
Rhode made people feel like insiders. Early access. Soft launches. Reposting their content. Listening to feedback.
7. Timing Matters
Rhode launched when clean girl aesthetic, skinimalism, and TikTok beauty culture all peaked. Find your convergence point.
8. Organic Beats Paid (When Done Right)
$248M in earned media. Zero ad spend. User-generated content and strategic influencer relationships at scale.
The Future: What’s Next for Rhode
Under e.l.f.’s ownership, Rhode is positioned for:
Global expansion — Moving beyond US into Europe and Asia
Retail distribution — Potential placement in Ulta and international platforms
Product expansion — New categories while maintaining the essentials-only philosophy
Scaled operations — e.l.f.’s infrastructure supporting Rhode’s creative vision
But the core won’t change. Minimalist aesthetic. Sensory design. Products designed to become content.
Because that’s the formula that turned three years and ten products into a billion dollars.
Final Thoughts
Rhode didn’t succeed because Hailey Bieber is famous.
Rhode succeeded because they cracked the code of modern brand building:
Make products people can’t help but show off.
Design for dopamine, not just hydration.
Trigger cravings, not just needs.
Create moments, not just products.
Build community, not just customers.
Most celebrity brands feel like “here’s my face, buy this thing.”
Rhode feels like “you already crave this, here’s how to get it.”
That’s the difference between a celebrity brand and a billion-dollar brand.
The sensory design revolution isn’t coming. It’s here.
Rhode just proved it works.
What do you think? Has Rhode changed how you think about product design and branding? Drop your thoughts in the comments.
