What brands can learn by staying authentic
We sat down with Thinking Hat intern, Shanti Airey, to talk about marketing campaigns that get cultural alignment right.
Q: Let’s start with a bit of background. What made you want to get into PR?
I’m Shanti Airey and I’ve recently graduated with a psychology degree from Royal Holloway. My dissertation looked at how traits like optimism and depression influence learning rates. It wasn’t directly PR-related, but it gave me a strong understanding of behaviour, which is something that translates really well into marketing.
What drew me to PR was actually a module in occupational psychology. We started analysing marketing campaigns and the psychology behind them, how different approaches can influence behaviour. For example, fear-based campaigns, like those used during COVID or even historically in more extreme contexts, and how they drive action.
That’s what really sparked my interest. I became fascinated by how messaging and storytelling can shape perception – how the way something is phrased can completely change how it’s received. That’s what led me to PR.
Q: Has there been a campaign that caught your eye recently?
Definitely – the Spring 2026 campaign from rhode skin. They featured Sarah Pidgeon, who plays Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy in Ryan Murphy’s Love Story. What made it interesting is that this was the first time Rhode stepped away from being entirely founder-led, with Hailey Bieber as the face of the brand.
At the same time, there’s been a huge resurgence in 90s minimalism, with Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy becoming a major reference point in fashion again. So the timing felt very intentional.
Q: What made it stand out?
It was the cultural alignment. They didn’t just pick a recognisable face, they chose someone right in the middle of a growing cultural moment. Sarah Pidgeon wasn’t already overexposed; she was just about to break through. The campaign dropped right as the series was gaining traction, which amplified both the brand and her rise to fame at the same time.
Rhode’s aesthetic: clean, minimal, and effortless also aligns perfectly with the 90s minimalist trend. So it didn’t feel forced in any way. It felt natural.
Another interesting layer was how audience-driven the campaign was. The product launch itself, a new shade range, was shaped through social media polls, meaning customers felt involved in the process. In the end, It didn’t feel like a campaign being pushed on them; it felt like something they had a hand in creating.
Q: Who was the main audience?
Primarily Gen Z, but also millennials. There’s a crossover happening. Gen Z are engaging with the trend through social media, while millennials have a more direct connection to the era because they lived through it. That balance makes the campaign feel broad without being generic.
Q: Why do you think it worked?
Rhode has always been very good at tapping into trends. But more importantly, they stay true to their brand.
They don’t jump on trends for the sake of it. Everything they do still feels consistent with their identity. You can recognise their aesthetic instantly, and that consistency builds trust. This campaign worked because it wasn’t just about visibility, it was about relevance.
Q: What can brands learn from this?
The biggest takeaway is that relevance comes from alignment, not just visibility.
It’s not enough to attach yourself to a trend or a cultural moment. It has to genuinely fit your brand. Otherwise, it feels forced. Audiences aren’t stupid – they can see through inauthentic content instantly.
Brands shouldn’t reinvent themselves just to stay current. Instead, they should understand who they are, what they stand for, and then try to align with moments that naturally fit their identity.
There’s also something to be said about authenticity. Especially now with the rise of AI. There’s so much repetitive content online and people are becoming more sensitive to anything that feels generic or inauthentic.
If you want to stand out, you need to put out content that’s distinctly you.
Q: How can brands find the right cultural moments?
It starts with clarity. Brands need to understand their identity before they can align with anything external. If you don’t know who you are, you’ll end up chasing trends that don’t make sense for you.
There’s also a balance between consistency and evolution. The most recognisable brands, like Coca-Cola, have stayed true to their core identity while adapting over time. When brands move too far away from that identity, it can backfire. For example, take jaguar – while its “copy nothing” rebrand got people talking, it was such a disaster that sales dropped by 97%.
Ultimately, it’s about staying consistent, monitoring culture, and knowing when something genuinely fits rather than forcing relevance. Because when everything is competing for attention, the brands that cut through aren’t the ones doing the most, they’re the ones doing what fits.
