Rhode’s Advertising Strategy to Make a Product an Experience
March 2024
Written for BMS387: Advertising and Media
Grade received: 97%
Rhode by Hailey Rhode Bieber has become a social media phenomenon. Since its launch in 2022, the minimalist product design and dedication to science-driven, understandable ingredients were promoted to cultivate its mission to create “curated skincare essentials” that follow the values of simplicity, affordability, authenticity, quality, and transparency. Rhode has created a brand identity that aims to be an innovative classic. In this social media advertisement, Bieber promotes her new limited edition strawberry glaze flavor of the peptide lip treatment. This product went viral. The partnership with Krispy Kreme was especially influential as its reputation supported Rhode's classic and timeless appeal. The advertisement appears as a video that shows Bieber hopping in a red car with a box of Krispy Kreme and applying the strawberry-flavored lip treatment. Its highly positive response suggests that the ad provoked more than a love for the product itself but a love for what the product brings as an extension of it. Dallas Smythe speaks on this facet of advertising, saying that it is a method of communication that doesn’t just move consumers to buy something but also buys into an ideology. Thus, in the 15-second video of the Rhode Skin strawberry-flavored peptide lip treatment advertisement, the product becomes an obtainable style, taste, and feeling. Through Rhode’s authenticity, partnership with Krispy Kreme, and visual aesthetic, a desired experience that extends beyond product function is created.
The product, inspired by Krispy Kreme’s strawberry glazed doughnut, brought back the discontinued doughnut for a limited time, giving the product even more publicity. By reaching two audiences, Bieber merged the unrelated food and beauty sectors. While it may seem an uncommon combination, Bieber previously went viral for drenching herself in skincare to achieve what she calls “looking like a glazed doughnut” before bed. Thus, her branding escalated the excitement for a product and collaboration synonymous with her aesthetic. In this way, Bieber fits the product-influencer fit: “The ‘fit’ (or ‘match-up’) between the image or personality of an endorser and the product he or she endorses is well-established in the traditional advertising domain, where it is considered one of the most important aspects influencing brand attitudes” (Janssen et al., 2022). In Crystal Abidin’s piece “Layers of Identity,” the topic of authenticity concerning influencer and celebrity culture is addressed. She communicates that viewers gravitate towards influencer-sponsored products rather than celebrity-endorsed ones due to the different levels of relatability. It is deduced that relatability translates as authenticity to viewers, and influencers are seen as more relatable due to their natural discussion of the products. On the other hand, celebrity advertisements often appear as performative and manicured. Furthermore, she states, “Unarticulated and inarticulatable, relatability is a form of what I have called “tacit labor,” the embodied and intentionally unseen work required to make a practice seem natural or effortless” (Abidin, 2018). Although Hailey Bieber is a celebrity, her product-influencer fit helps her convey a more authentic perspective. Her advertisement and production of the peptide lip treatment became more trustworthy because she relates to it.
Rhode’s product placement in social media advertisements also aligns with “tacit labor.” The lip treatment is uniquely placed as a side feature of the video that communicates a more natural use. This is evident when the box of Krispy Kreme is shown first and depicts it as the dominant product. Bieber holds up the Krispy Kreme box and makes it an obvious point of attention. At the end of the clip, Bieber casually applies the lip product, giving it an organic feel rather than commercially presenting it. Rhode’s goal is to invite the audience to an active experience. The video does not only focus on the product’s function and design but illustrates Bieber’s use of the product while she conducts other activities such as driving and holding a box of doughnuts. By putting the product in use alongside other activities, it communicates its day-to-day usability. These decisions are what Abidin refers to as tacit labor, where decisions go into making intention look effortless (Abidin, 2018). The authenticity of Bieber’s product-influencer fit and the way the product is handled make the experience feel real and attainable.
The ad's target audience expands beyond skin care. By making itself known to Krispy Kreme customers, Rhode increases brand awareness. This is strategic compared to partnering with another company in the beauty industry because it can reach a new audience. When partnering with another skincare company, the products may visibly complement each other, but both attract similar groups of people. Thus, by diversifying into a new industry, Rhode has moved away from direct competition. The partnership with Krispy Kreme is also an explicit semiotic representing nostalgia for a classic American experience. Krispy Kreme exudes a timeless feeling and communicates a comforting and reliable message, which are also essential features of Rhode’s philosophy. This is further implicitly emphasized through the symbol of the car that Bieber rides and its bright red color, reminiscent of Cindy Crawford’s iconic 1992 Pepsi commercial. Through the car color, the ad references the retro and impactful history that comes with red. This color is symbolic throughout the video, as it is apparent in Bieber’s clothes, the Krispy Kreme logo, and the Rhode logo on the peptide lip treatment. This creates a cohesive piece with a consistent meaning that brings color to life. Incorporating red in all frame elements transmits an aesthetic the consumer can obtain by purchasing the lip treatment and a classic feeling. Along with this, the song that plays in the video adds to the nostalgic and blissful atmosphere. These features are used to create an aura, making the advertisement evocative and the product desirable.
To conclude, Rhode transforms a good into a desirable aesthetic and experience. This is achieved through Biber’s authentic approach to advertising by partnering with a company that aligns with her branding and using the company to create a distinct aesthetic and mood. Judith Williamson expresses that “Advertisements must take into account not only the inherent qualities and attributes of the products they are trying to sell but also how they can make those properties mean something to us” (Williamson, 1994). This is how Rhode enters the “magic” system. Moreover, the brand communicates that the gain is not simply the product itself but who you become when you use it. Rhode provides the right balance between desirability and attainability. There is just enough aesthetic emphasis on the product to romanticize it and make it wanted. Yet, it remains in the consumer’s psychological reach because of the authenticity communicated.
References
Abidin, C. (2018, April 16). Layers of Identity. Real Life. https://reallifemag.com/layers-of-identity/
Instagram Reel: Rhode Advertisement for Limited Edition Strawbery-Flavored Peptide Lip Treatment
Janssen, L., Schouten, A. P., & Croes, E. A. J. (2022). Influencer advertising on Instagram: product-influencer fit and number of followers affect advertising outcomes and influencer evaluations via credibility and identification. International Journal of Advertising, 41(1), 101–127. https://doi.org/10.1080/02650487.2021.1994205
Smythe, D. (1981). On the Commodity Audience its Work. In M. G. Durham & D. M. Kellner (Eds.), Media and Cultural Studies: Keyworks(pp. 230-256). John Wiley & Sons.
Williamson, J. (1994). Decoding advertisements. Marion Boyars Publishers, Ltd.
YouTube. (2017, October 16). Advertising Pepsi with Cindy Crawford - 1992. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtK-yq-BQDU