On his latest album, Justin Bieber kicks off a song about his wife, Hailey Bieber, referencing her “iPhone case” with “lip gloss on it.”
To many, including her husband, Bieber’s brand Rhode Skin has become known as much for its products as the cases that hold and display them. In addition to $38 iPhone cases, Rhode has created a mirror holder for its Glazing Mist and a gold chain to display its Peptide Lip Tint, which was met with mixed reactions this summer.
Like the holders or not, Alex Center, founder of design and branding company Center, told us last year after the Rhode Lip Case was first released that he expected more brands to begin selling product accessories or product holsters as a form of marketing.
“Cell phone, wallet, keys—those are the things we need to invest in,” he said. “It makes a lot of sense to put [a product] on a keychain or connected to a cell phone.”
It seems marketers got the memo. Kathleen Braine, CMO of 818 Spirits, told us that the tequila brand took inspiration from Rhode in developing a holder that connects to a keychain charm for its new line of minis.
“If you can put a lip gloss in your bikini strap, why not a mini tequila bottle?” she told us.
Justin Bieber’s fashion brand Skylrk was reportedly inspired by Rhode to create a joint-holding phone case earlier this year. At the same time, as Labubus and bag charms have gained popularity in recent years, more brands ranging from Glossier to Fenty Beauty to Dior have created clip-on product holders and keychains that put their brand on display and, ideally, help customers accessorize on-the-go items.
On display
This summer, Glossier collaborated with Magnolia Bakery on a banana pudding–flavored Balm Dotcom lip balm, and with it, released a keychain to hold the balm alongside banana, star, and Glossier-branded charms.
Veronika Ullmer, head of integrated communications, partnerships, and impact at Glossier, told us via email that the beauty brand was inspired to create the keychain holder a couple of years ago after seeing customers “hole-punching their Balm Dotcom tubes and adding charms” on social.
The product description for the keychain encourages people to clip it to their keys, jeans, and handbags. By publicly displaying the balm, Ullmer agreed that it helps Glossier build brand visibility and cultural relevance. Beyond that, she said it also encourages self-expression and community-building.
“It creates instant connection,” Ullmer said. “When you see someone else with a Balm Dotcom keychain, it’s an immediate bond—another way our community finds each other beyond the walls of our stores.”
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Having a product on display also, essentially, makes customers into brand ambassadors. When designing the holder part of its keychain, Braine said 818 intentionally made it to fit the unique shape of its mini bottle, with an opening to display the brand label as part of an effort to drive brand awareness and growth.
Braine said that in many ways, a product holder is a new form of merch that helps create brand value and affinity, while “adding to the culture.” Beyond Rhode, she said 818 took inspiration from Glossier, Labubus, and Chanel bag charms when creating its product holder.
“Our consumers are really familiar with this,” she said. “They’re inundated with lifestyle brands, and they own Rhode or Summer Fridays or Kylie beauty and they have the Glossier banana clip—all these really cute executions that started with the phone case in a very different way.”
Chain reaction
As mini products gain popularity, some brands are finding that simply making something cute or quirky to display on a keychain can be an effective marketing strategy. “In all the discourse around keychains and little treats, I see a lot of comments that are like, ‘But why?’” Braine said. “Well, it’s fun. Can’t something just be fun?”
In the last year, Beyoncé’s hair-care brand Cécred gave out cowboy shampoo bottle keychains during the Cowboy Carter tour, Ikea created smiley meatball keychains, and Harry Styles teamed up with designer JW Anderson to make a…not-so-subtly phallic keychain for his brand, Pleasing.
Last month, fast-casual restaurant chain Cava gave out pita-chip plushies in blind bags, and Andy Rebhun, chief marketing and experience officer, told us that the brand made a strategic decision to add a clip to each character after seeing the keychain trend emerge around the world. The result, he said, was visibility IRL and online.
“If you take a look at our socials or go down the TikTok rabbit hole, you see a lot of people who are super passionate about promoting what pita-chip character they got and attaching it to their bag or backpack,” he said.
With so many heavy things happening in the news, Center said a little whimsy, sometimes mixed with functionality, might be exactly what consumers are looking for from brands.
“The thing that I’m excited about is how fun it all feels,” he said. “There’s a playfulness and a joy that is happening from brands, and that’s something the world needs right now.”