How Rhode Skin's Innovative Lip Balm Phone Case Went Viral

The Rhode Lip Case went viral because it turned Rhode's best-selling product into something people carried and photographed every day. It is a silicone iPhone case with a built-in slot for Rhode's Peptide Lip Treatment. Hailey Bieber teased it in a mirror selfie in early February 2024, it launched on 27 February 2024 and sold out almost immediately, and rival brands' parody videos gave it even more reach. It is now one of the clearest examples of a founder-led, product-as-marketing launch in beauty.

Below, we break down what the Lip Case is, how the launch unfolded, and the five marketing lessons premium brands can take from it.

What is the Rhode Lip Case?

The Rhode Lip Case is a silicone phone case with a slot on the back that holds a Rhode Peptide Lip Treatment or Peptide Lip Tint. At launch it cost £35 / $35 and fitted the iPhone 14 and 15 Pro and Pro Max, with the lip product sold separately.

The idea is simple: the two things people grab on the way out of the door, their phone and their lip balm, become one object. But its real value to Rhode was marketing. Every case is a visible, branded reminder of the brand's hero product.

How the launch unfolded

• Early February 2024: Hailey Bieber posted a mirror selfie with the case before it was announced. Fans immediately asked when they could buy it.
• 14 February 2024: Rhode confirmed the case would drop on 27 February alongside a restock of the Peptide Lip Treatment.
• Mid-February: Benefit and Colourpop posted parody videos, taping their own products to phones. The joke spread the launch even further.
• 27 February 2024: The case went on sale exclusively on rhodeskin.com and sold out within hours.
• Early April 2024: Rhode restocked the cases and lip tints, and later added new colourways.

Why the Rhode Lip Case worked: five marketing lessons

1. It was built around an existing hero product

The case didn't need to create demand from scratch. Rhode's Peptide Lip Treatment, which launched with the brand in 2022, was already a phenomenon: Glossy reported in August 2023 that it was closing in on its first million tubes sold. The case gave fans a new reason to buy, and display, the product they already loved.

2. The founder teased it before it was a product

The first time anyone saw the case was in Bieber's own selfie, not an ad campaign. Showing it casually let fans discover it and ask for it, so by the time it was announced, demand was already visible in the comments. This is founder-led marketing at its most effective: personal, unpolished and impossible for a competitor to copy.

3. Scarcity was part of the design

Limited drops, waitlists and quick sell-outs turned buying the case into an event. Each sell-out generated fresh coverage, and each restock gave Rhode another moment to talk about. Scarcity works when demand is real; here, it amplified demand that already existed.

4. The product markets itself

A phone is the most photographed object in most people's lives. Every mirror selfie with the case became free advertising for Rhode, and celebrities and creators posting theirs kept it in the feed long after launch.

5. Rhode let the internet join in

When Benefit and Colourpop made parody versions, Rhode's launch became a cultural moment rather than just a product release. The playful back-and-forth between brands put the case in front of audiences far beyond Rhode's own followers.

What happened next for Rhode

Launches like the Lip Case helped turn Rhode into one of beauty's fastest-growing brands. In May 2025, e.l.f. Beauty agreed to acquire Rhode in a deal worth up to $1 billion. Rhode had generated $212 million in net sales in the previous 12 months and was named the top skincare brand for earned media value, with Bieber staying on as chief creative officer and head of innovation.

What premium brands can learn from Rhode

• Extend your hero product, don't replace it. New launches that make your best-seller more visible can outperform entirely new products.
• Let your founder or a trusted voice reveal things first. A personal tease builds anticipation that an ad can't.
• Design products people want to be seen with. If customers photograph it, they market it for you.
• Use scarcity honestly. Limited drops work when demand is real and restocks are communicated clearly.
• Welcome the conversation. Parodies, duets and reactions are earned media. Respond with good humour.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Rhode Lip Case?

It is a silicone phone case with a slot on the back that holds a Rhode Peptide Lip Treatment or Lip Tint, so your phone and lip product are always together.

When did the Rhode Lip Case launch?

Hailey Bieber teased it in early February 2024, and it went on sale on 27 February 2024 on rhodeskin.com. It sold out within hours and was restocked in April 2024.

Why did the Rhode Lip Case sell out so quickly?

It combined a hugely popular hero product, a founder-led tease that built demand before launch, limited stock, and viral attention from rival brands' parody videos.

What can other brands learn from the Rhode Lip Case?

Build on what customers already love, let a trusted voice reveal it first, make products people want to show off, and treat the online conversation as part of the launch.

Want a launch people talk about?

At 303, we help premium and luxury brands turn launches into moments across social, creators and paid media. Talk to our social media team about your next drop.