Hall of Fame or Name and Shame?

A look into the credibility and execution of celebrity-founded brands.

We’ve said it before and we’re not afraid to say it again: not every celebrity needs to launch a brand.

For every Fenty Beauty, there are countless celebrity brands that fail to connect with consumers. So what makes a celebrity brand work?

We think there are two key elements:

• Credibility: Does the celebrity have a right to play in this space?
• Execution: How effective are the design and delivery?

Despite the scepticism, celebrity-owned beauty brands grew faster than the overall beauty category.

BERO (Tom Holland)

Inspired by Tom Holland’s own sobriety journey, 0.0% beer BERO was born as a reminder that sobriety shouldn’t equate to settling.

This is reflected in the brand’s noteworthy disdain for category codes. The luxurious gold is a bold breakaway from the standard blue and silver typical of 0% ABV products, turning an alcohol-free beverage into a premium product anyone would want.

Credibility: 5/5
Execution: 4/5

Cloud 23 (Brooklyn Beckham)

Help, the celebs are coming for the hot sauces next.

Brooklyn Beckham’s move into the culinary world raises questions given the lack of professional culinary expertise behind the product.

The label has a personal touch, with illustrations inspired by Beckham’s tattoos, but overall the brand feels disjointed. The wooden stopper follows established hot sauce conventions, but Cloud 23 ultimately leaves us cold.

Credibility: 3/5
Execution: 2/5

Rhode (Hailey Bieber)

As the epitome of the clean girl aesthetic, Hailey Bieber hit the on-brand bullseye with Rhode.

Centred around the bestselling lip peptide range, the innovatively designed phone case was an exceptional business move. With its hands-free functionality and viral appeal, the product’s success extends well beyond celebrity endorsement.

Credibility: 4/5
Execution: 5/5

Maebe (Molly-Mae)

As former Creative Director of PrettyLittleThing and one of the UK’s biggest influencers, Molly-Mae’s decision to launch a fashion brand feels authentic.

Consulting directly with followers, she identified demand for timeless, long-lasting wardrobe pieces.

However, concerns around product quality suggest the execution may not yet fully deliver on its promise.

Credibility: 3.5/5
Execution: 1.5/5

Four Walls (Glenn Howerton, Charlie Day & Rob McElhenney)

This team has leveraged its own lore to create a whiskey brand inspired by both its American and Irish roots, as well as the bar setting central to It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.

The rectangular bottle shape cleverly reflects the idea behind the name, representing the four walls of a bar that provide a shared home.

That said, the strong reliance on traditional whiskey design cues raises the question of whether it's classic or simply cliché.

Credibility: 3/5
Execution: 3/5

Lunchly (Logan Paul, KSI & MrBeast)

A collaboration between three of YouTube’s biggest names should have been a guaranteed success.

However, despite leveraging the popularity of Prime and Feastables, early reviews were underwhelming.

The design feels uninspired and relies heavily on the equity of existing brands rather than creating a distinct identity of its own.

Credibility: 1/5
Execution: 1.5/5

Pleasing (Harry Styles)

The playful colourways and mid-century inspired design of Pleasing are both a strong display piece and a reflection of Harry Styles’ distinctive personal style.

Combined with social initiatives supporting queer youth, the brand successfully balances authenticity with smart business strategy.

Credibility: 5/5
Execution: 4/5

Teremana (Dwayne Johnson)

At first glance, Dwayne Johnson’s tequila brand appears to have little connection to either tequila or Mexico.

However, Johnson’s commitment to working with respected tequila distillers strengthens the brand’s credibility.

While the design occasionally feels reminiscent of Casamigos, Teremana’s commercial success demonstrates the power of combining celebrity appeal with category expertise.

Credibility: 3/5
Execution: 3/5

Key Takeaways

Make It Make Sense

Create something so perfectly aligned with the founder that fans are almost surprised it didn’t exist already.

Consider the Standalone Factor

Ensure the brand can survive without relying solely on celebrity endorsement. If not, bring in genuine category expertise.

Leverage Design

Make sure the product design aligns with both the brand positioning and the founder’s personality. With guaranteed attention around celebrity launches, don’t be afraid to challenge category conventions.