^This ad was SO CUTE, click here to see it (although the belly button talking was weird to me lol).
Anyway - this rebrand plugged directly into an existing behavior.
The “everything shower” already exists as a ritual:
- It’s self-care.
- It’s entertainment.
- It’s identity.
- It’s content.
No, Tree Hut didn’t invent it. They just visualized it, and are capitalizing on it with this rebrand.
The timing: precise.
Launching after the holidays was soooooooo strategic, in my eyes.
Kids received Tree Hut for Christmas. Familiarity was already established. The rebrand introduced novelty immediately after.
They literally launched the rebrand on Christmas Day. Which IMO, creates re-buy momentum without retraining the consumer.
The “it’s for kids” critique missed the whole damn point
Literally so many comments on social media about how “wow this looks like it's for kids.” LOL YES. AND THEY HAVE BIG BUYING POWER RN!!
Ok so if you live under a rock, the youth totally drives beauty culture right now.
Younger consumers discover brands earlier, influence household spending, and build loyalty faster than previous generations ever did.
Tree Hut leaned into that reality instead of resisting it.
In a market flooded with neutral, cool-girl sameness, visual boldness is how you stay visible. For Tree Hut… relevance has been preserved. ✨
What you can learn from this
1. If you rebrand, start with the product, not the moodboard.
Tree Hut visualized the physical reality of their product. The texture, the colors, the excess: all of it mirrors how the scrub actually behaves. When visuals reflect experience, branding feels intuitive instead of performative.
2. Protect trust before you chase attention.
3. Timing can do more work than messaging.
Launching after the holidays capitalized on familiarity and habit. The product was already in homes. The rebrand introduced novelty at the exact moment re-buy decisions start forming.
4. Your next growth audience might already be buying you.
Tree Hut leaned into the segment driving repeat demand and cultural relevance. Younger buyers aren’t a future audience, no no, they’re a current one. Brands that ignore that reality lose shelf space faaaaaaast. (cough cough, lululemon)
5. Visibility beats neutrality in crowded categories.
Ulta, Sephora, Target, and Amazon are saturated with “cool.” Tree Hut chose unmistakable instead. Bold visuals didn’t cheapen the product—they made it easier to spot, remember, and desire.
6. Fun is not a risk when it matches reality. HAVE THE FREAKIN’ FUN OK????
The packaging,
PR boxes, TikTok content, and website all reinforce the same feeling. Loud, playful, indulgent. Consistency across touchpoints made the rebrand feel confident, not MESSY AF.
7. Backlash isn’t failure when demand stays intact.
Tree Hut wasn’t being purchased for elevated branding before; it was soooo outdated. Consumers of the product were buying because the product delivered and felt good to use. Branding alone doesn’t drive abandonment. A bad product does.