Behind Selena Gomez’s Rare Beauty makeup brand partnership with Hulu’s ‘Only Murders in the Building’

Reaching a TV audience without a TV ad

Rare Beauty’s TV efforts have mostly been limited until now. The brand activated on CTV after launching in September 2020 and tested the channel again about a year later for one of its mascara products, Murphy said.

“At our core, we are still such a startup,” Murphy said, “so when we think about how we’re allocating our paid media spend, we really need to be strategic.”

Hulu has done similar partnerships with DTC brands in the past, said Barrie Gruner, executive VP, marketing and publicity at Hulu.

For instance, Hulu struck deals with Trejo’s Coffee & Donuts in Los Angeles and Postmates for the Season 2 premiere of “This Fool,” Gruner said in an email. Postmates offered a “This Fool” special order—complete with donuts and hats—to Trejo’s customers who ordered in. Other Trejo’s customers received free “This Fool-inspired donuts” as part of the activation. 

Hulu also partnered with streetwear brand Mitchell & Ness, rolling out a capsule collection inspired by the Emmy-nominated series “Wu-Tang: An American Saga,” according to Gruner. The collection, which was available for puchase on the Mitchell & Ness website, included hoodies, hats and more, according to Gruner. Exclusive pieces were also made available in select locations in New York. 

“At its core, we hope that partnerships like these are truly symbiotic and mutually beneficial,” Gruner said. “These collaborations super-serve like-minded fans and give them new ways to experience their favorite content,” Gruner said.”