It's only fitting that our surprise Wednesday newsletter features a surprise guest, and not just any guest, but an EXTRA special guest: Laney Crowell, Founder and CEO of Saie. Let's backtrack.
Last week, while scrolling on Instagram, we saw a few members of the Saie team post stories about something called “Club Roseglow.” Some of the photos included the names of four cities in the corners - New York, Los Angeles, London, and Paris - signifying some sort of experiential concept. After some investigation, we discovered this was a new private Instagram account that Saie created, like a members-only club, to promote their new product 'Roseglow,' launching in a few weeks.
From the landing page on Club Roseglow’s account, it’s clear that Roseglow is a new shade of their Super Gel, which is a rose gold color. Despite the clarity on the product itself, we still had many questions about the social club:
Why leverage their brand team to tease the concept quietly before posting it on their official account?
Is Saie thinking about expanding into hospitality, or is this just a concept that will live on social media?
What role will this page play in relation to the official Instagram during and after the launch?
The list goes on, but you get the point.
In typical PEOPLE BRANDS AND THINGS fashion, we immediately reached out to the Saie team for the inside scoop, and they graciously let us ask Laney a few questions about the launch and associated campaign. Before we get into that, we want to share some musings we had pre-interview, followed by a bit more context on Club Roseglow.
Whether in real life or digital, the appeal of members-only clubs lies in the sense of community they create. For most people in them, the appeal isn’t so much that they’re exclusive (for most people), but rather that because they’re exclusive, they’re purposefully selective. This means the people in them have been vetted to share the same values and interests as you, fostering a community where you want to spend time with others in the same circle.
Over the past few years, members-only clubs have taken on a life of their own in the consumer world, with brands actively creating their own - even fake ones. Probably the greatest example of this ever was, and will continue to be, The Rochambeau Club, an institution located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region of the French Riviera. It’s known for its tennis facilities and company, but most of all, the fact that the club is, well, entirely fake.
It’s the epitome of creating a perfect ‘brand world,’ using witty copy, a transportive mood board, and immersive collateral to make you believe not only that the place exists, but that you’re a member of the club itself. They banked on this sense of community, so that when they finally dropped their product - an overpriced Rosé - people wanted to buy it because of FOMO and to support and represent their own club. Genius.
Saie is employing the same method with Club Roseglow, also a non-existent club built on Instagram. While they may have plans to activate on a small level in any of their select four cities, we all know Saie won’t be leaving the beauty industry to become a full-time hospitality brand. Instead, the concept of a social club is just another way to build their community in a disruptive way.
Like The Rochambeau Club, Saie is using a mood board to bring this space to life, showcasing everything from what the dining room experience would look like to the decor and collateral. For example, the image in the middle creatively designs a three-course ‘menu’ featuring ingredients in Roseglow.
All of this brings us to our conversation with Laney, the brains behind Saie and the person who directly inspired the formation of the Club Roseglow concept. She spilled all the details on the genesis of the creative concept, an inside look at the mood board, and the brand’s plan for this account during and post launch. Thank you to Laney and team Saie who helped facilitate this conversation. Without further ado, here’s everything to know about Club Roseglow from Laney herself:
PEOPLE BRANDS AND THINGS: Why launch an Instagram page separate from Saie’s official IG, dedicated to Roseglow?
Laney Crowell: Roseglow is a highly anticipated new launch. Creating its own private Instagram page allows us to tell the Roseglow story in a totally unique way ahead of its launch date, specifically for our superfans.
PBT: We’re curious to know the strategy behind soft-launching the new product with this private account. Anything you can share?
LC: We’re a brand born from community. Saie started because of a conversation I had on Instagram in 2017 and so we always want to be first to share information with our community. We made it private to emulate a member’s only club to mimic that special feeling of an invite-only event.
PBT: What are your short-term and long-term goals for @clubroseglow, and what role will this page play within the launch compared to the official Saie IG?
LC: @clubroseglow is a limited-life account which will disappear shortly after launch. Its purpose is not to gain followers but to be a if-you-know-you-know space where you can learn about the launch before anyone else.
PBT: Why embrace the concept of an exclusive, members-only club? Why was this approach right for this specific launch?
LC: Glowy Super Gel is an icon. For those who know how incredible Glowy Super Gel is, it’s like being in a private club: it’s the only product you want to use and you can’t help but tell everyone about it.
PBT: We’d love to hear more about the mood board and creative inspiration behind Club Roseglow. Why lean into the timeless elegance of Hollywood and New York, and how does this aesthetic relate to the product?
LC: Glowy Super Gel is totally timeless. It provides a lit from within glow (without any strobing) and it’s just effortlessly cool. All of the images we’ve picked represent this feeling..
PBT: Any plans to bring Club Roseglow or Roseglow itself to life through an in-person event or activation this summer? Any partnerships we can look forward to?
LC: We do, but it’s not what you’re going to expect! Here’s a little hint: it’s going to be across the pond.
Want to submit a pitch? Email (or DM) us: peoplebrandsandthings@gmail.com.