DTC1076: rhode Brand Breakdown

Good morning,

Here’s what you’ll find in today’s DTC:

1️⃣ How Rhode creates impactful ads and maintains an aura of exclusivity

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‍⭐ Rhode’s Minimalist Aesthetic Ads

Rhode has quickly become a Gen Z beauty phenomenon.

Founded by Hailey Bieber in 2022, its mission to simplify skincare with high-performance products has been a hit for those looking to mimic her minimal cool girl aesthetic.

In under three years, Rhode grew from a startup into one of the fastest-growing beauty brands in the industry before being acquired by e.l.f. Beauty in a $1 billion dollar deal last year.

The brand has since expanded into Sephora while continuing to drive huge online engagement.

The Pilothouse Meta team examines Rhode’s Meta ads to see how the brand can further optimize paid performance.

Rhode x the Biebers Limited Edition Set

Sometimes the product is the ad.

Especially when you’re a creator or celebrity-led brand like Rhode where cultural currency drives brand AND you’re promoting a limited edition drop with a global star like Justin Bieber.

The Bieber collaboration ad is still running despite the set being sold out, which reflects strong creative confidence.

When a product generates this level of engagement, keeping the ad live is a good call. The visual is working, and the demand signal is real.

That said, the current landing page leaves conversion potential on the table by featuring only the sold-out bundle.

💡 Pilothouse Tips:

✅ Highlight SKUs still in stock: The pimple patches included in the bundle are still available for purchase.

Rather than lose out on potential orders, add a direct link to them on the landing page so interested shoppers have a clear path to purchase.

✅ Create a restock list: Even if the set does not return, capturing emails from interested visitors builds a high-intent segment. If there are no restock plans, linking to a comparable bundle keeps the traffic from going cold.

Snap-On Lip Case: Limited Edition

Cult brands like Rhode tend to win relevancy in the long term by sticking to their guns and never feeling compelled to over-explain their position in the marketplace.

Shoppers who recognize the product feel rewarded. Those who do not are invited to get closer.

Curiosity is often an underrated tool in a marketer’s belt because we feel the need to give as much context as we can to eliminate the consideration window and drive a conversion.

But sometimes, especially with cult brands, when the play is a feeling of exclusivity and being “in the know”, this kind of vague, highly aesthetic ad is the way to go.

💡 Pilothouse Tips:

✅ Test a low-fi video version: A short video cycling through different colorways and panel combinations adds dimension without sacrificing the minimal aesthetic.

iPhone-style B-roll fits the brand tone and performs well in short-form placements.

✅ Add a product demo clip: Comments and on-site reviews consistently praise how intuitive the magnet mechanism is. A quick clip showing that functionality addresses a key conversion trigger and gives hesitant shoppers the confirmation they need.

Product B-Roll Clips

This is a great example of how even the biggest, most brand-forward businesses out there are consistently shipping product-focused B-roll!

This type of content is non-negotiable in all ad accounts. Rhode is shipping product-focused B-roll consistently, which is the right move regardless of brand scale.

Ten to fifteen seconds of clean product shots with quick cuts is one of the most reliable formulas in short-form paid content. The minimalist treatment is on-brand, and the creative holds up.

💡 Pilothouse Tip:

✅ Test text overlays: Adding concise callouts, such as "restock live now," "new shades available," or "shop site exclusives," layers intent-capture onto the visual without compromising the aesthetic.

These overlays give purposeful shoppers a specific reason to click through and explore the site.

"Get Ready With Me" Founder Content

Hailey Bieber's influence on Rhode's core audience is a genuine competitive advantage.

Women of a specific age will do ANYTHING Hailey Bieber does, so it’s actually a great move to put the spend behind a “get ready with me” founder video in a casual setting.

The format converts because the relationship between founder and audience already exists.

💡 Pilothouse Tips:

✅ Loop it: Opening with the finished look before showing the full routine increases curiosity and watch time.

✅ Add organic-style overlays: For ads running from the Rhode brand account, layering in subtle product callouts ties the content directly to a shoppable outcome.

Pairing this format with a curated bundle, such as "Hailey's Go-To," and routing traffic to a dedicated landing page strengthens both conversion and brand cohesion.

✅ Maintain an aura of exclusivity: Rhode's growth is tied to its cult status, which requires ongoing attention as the brand scales.

A "secret set" framing, paired with content like this and a restricted landing page, reinforces loyalty among existing fans while giving cold traffic an accessible, high-perceived-value entry point.

✨ Conclusion

Rhode's paid creative reflects a brand that understands its own identity.

The minimalist aesthetic, founder-led content, and product-first approach are all working.

But it is worth mentioning that brands backed by celebrity capital operate on an entirely different playbook.

Without Hailey Bieber's social currency, a significant portion of the creative reviewed here would not carry the same weight.

Where points are lost is in the technical execution. Sending paid traffic to a landing page for a sold-out product, with no restock capture and no link to available alternatives, is a waste of ad spend.

And even culturally dominant brands can lose relevancy.

Rhode needs to be thinking about where it stands in five years, ten years, when the cultural conditions that made it so consumable have shifted.

Hailey Bieber's influence is durable, but trend cycles are not. The brands that survive category shifts are the ones that built technical and strategic depth while the attention was still on them. Rhode has the window. The work now is to use it.

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DTC Newsletter is written by Rebecca Knight and Frances Du. Edited by Eric Dyck.

Please note that items in this newsletter marked with * contain sponsored content.