How Rhode Built a $1B Brand

💄 How Rhode Built a Gen Z Skincare Empire

Let’s be real: most celebrity brands flop.

Just ask Drew House by Justin Bieber or the countless TikTok ventures that vanished.

But Rhode?

💰 Acquired for $1 billion by e.l.f.
📈 Estimated $100M+ annual sales
📱 4.7M followers
💬 50K creator mentions
🛍 Sold out at Sephora
📹 Avg. 1.5M views per Reel

All of that in under 3 years.

So… how did they do it?

Let’s break down the 6 moves that made it happen (and how you can apply them too) 👇️ 

Ready? Let’s go!

1️⃣ The Founder Is the Audience

Hailey didn’t just license her name. She designed a brand for girls like her.

She famously said:

That mindset shaped everything:
→ Product formulas were about hydration, not 15-step routines
→ Packaging was soft, minimal, and vanity-friendly
→ The tone of voice? Chill, no over-promising, and bestie energy

Rhode wasn’t “celebrity skincare.”
It was clean, cool, and relatable — just like Hailey’s Instagram.

👉 Your takeaway:
Build a brand that mirrors your customer. Make them feel like it’s already theirs.

2️⃣ Viral-First Product Design

Every Rhode product is made to look good in content. And the best?

It doesn’t look like a beauty brand…

From the Bottega-like lip cases to launch campaigns with bubble baths (check the amazing product release campaign) and fridge drops — everything is designed for the feed.

📈 300M+ TikTok posts
💬 1M+ waitlist on launch
🎥 Avg. 1.5M Reels views

It wasn’t about mass launches. Rhode started with 3 SKUs and turned each one into a moment.

👉 Your takeaway:
Design products with virality in mind — aesthetic, compact, and made to be shown off.

3️⃣ Creator-Led from Day One

Rhode didn’t go all-in on mega influencers.
They worked with 50K+ creators — and 37K of them were micro (25K+ followers).

The goal?
→ Lo-fi routines, not polished ads
→ Real testimonials, not scripts
→ Gifting + affiliate + paid mix

They gave creators freedom, and it worked. The content felt real because it was.

And today, they are among one of the most mentioned brands online:

👉 Your takeaway:
Let creators shape your story. And scale with micro first — they overdeliver. Check how they used their products to drive massive UGC content (full article here)

4️⃣ Trendy Faces, Not Just One Star

Hailey brought the brand to life, but she wasn’t the only face.

They leaned on rising stars like:
→ Alexandra Saint Mleux
→ Tate McRae

Why it worked:
→ Fresh reach
→ Trend alignment
→ Cultural proximity

Rhode kept things feeling exclusive, but not unreachable.

👉 Your takeaway:
Surround your brand with people your audience already loves. It multiplies trust. Use a tool like Click Analytic to find audience lookalike creators, so you can easily reach similar audiences.

5️⃣ They Built a Creator Funnel

Instead of chasing creators, Rhode built a dedicated landing page for inbound interest.

It evolved into a vetted network of fans-turned-ambassadors.

But here’s what made it scalable:
→ Tools to vet profiles fast (engagement, location, vibe)
→ Automated gifting workflows
→ Ongoing communication through IG + email

👉 Your takeaway:
Make it easy for creators to find you — but have a system to qualify and activate them fast. Clickanalytic.com can do that for you! Test is for free :)

6️⃣ Be Where Your Audience Is

From Coachella to collabs with Gen Z-loved brands like 818 Tequila, Rhode didn’t just sell skincare — it sold a vibe.

They showed up in every cultural moment their audience cared about:

• 🎡 Coachella fridges + skincare drops

• 🍸 A limited-edition lip treat with 818

• 📲 Lo-fi GRWMs, IG Stories, bubble baths, and shelfies

It was all about embedding Rhode into everyday life. Not just a product — a ritual. A mood.

The goal? Make your audience feel seen, and make your product part of how they express themselves.

💡 Lesson for you: Collaborate with brands they already love. Be part of their content, their culture, and their community.

🫵 Looking to build a Rhode-style creator strategy?

Rhode didn’t rely on luck (or just fame).
They built a brand for creators — with smart systems, scalable strategies, and content baked into every detail.

You can do the same — even without a billion-dollar budget.

👉 Use Click Analytic’s new filters to find breakout creators by engagement, reach, or Shopify sales
👉 Or book a free strategy call — I’ll help you build a high-impact plan tailored to your brand

📆 Let’s build your creator strategy →

📋 Survey of the Week

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🛒 Reddit rolls out Dynamic Product Ads to all

❓ YouTube launches interactive quiz stickers

🌐 TikTok now allows external links in Stories