Case Study — Salt & Stone (concept)

A limited hair care launch that carries Salt & Stone's scents from the body into the hair.

A concept campaign for two limited-edition shampoo and conditioner scents, from the first teaser to launch day.

Role
Brand strategist and designer
Scope
Brand strategy, campaign creative, email, social
Timeline
Concept, November 2026
Tools
Adobe Firefly, Claude
Salt and Stone limited shampoo and conditioner in Rosemary and Sea Kelp and Tonka and Smoked Pine
Rosemary & Sea Kelp and Tonka & Smoked Pine, shampoo and conditioner
Part 1

The Brand

Salt & Stone is a Los Angeles body care brand founded by professional snowboarder Nima Jalali. It describes its products as skincare and self-care for a life lived in motion, made with ingredients from the sea and mountains.

Based in
Los Angeles
Known for
Aluminum-free deodorant and body care
Signature scents
Santal & Vetiver, Bergamot & Hinoki
Part 2

The Opportunity

Customers already know the scents from deodorant and body wash. Hair care is the next step in the same shower.

Test a new category
A limited run tries hair care without changing the core line.
A reason to buy now
A short window gives existing customers urgency.
An easy first try
New customers can try the brand through a single limited release.
Part 3

The Strategy

For people who already use Salt & Stone in the shower, a limited shampoo and conditioner, available for one season.

Audience
Returning body wash and deodorant customers first, then new customers who follow limited beauty releases.
Key message
"From the sea and mountains," taken from the brand's own description. Rosemary & Sea Kelp stands for the sea, and Tonka & Smoked Pine stands for the mountains.
Visual direction
One muted color per scent, used as a flat backdrop, following the brand's soft light, single-color backdrops, and water on glass.
Sage
#A8B6A8 · Rosemary & Sea Kelp
Clay
#C69C80 · Tonka & Smoked Pine
Part 4

The Creative

The posts reveal the product a little at a time, from fogged glass to a full reveal on launch day.

Post 01: bottles behind fogged glass Post 02: launch date on ribbed glass Post 03: the two scents and their colors
Post 04: torn reveal on launch day Post 05: Tonka and Smoked Pine on clay
Instagram, posts 01 to 05 in order
Part 5

The Launch

Returning customers get three days of early access before the public launch on December 1.

Early access rewards loyal buyers and builds demand before the public launch. A last-chance email on December 14 goes only to people who clicked but didn't buy.

Nov 24Dec 1Dec 8Dec 14
Teaser email
Post 01
Post 02
Post 03
Early access
Launch
Post 05
Last chance
Early access email for returning customers Public launch email
Early access email, left. Public launch email, right.
Part 6

Goals and Measurement

Click rate is the main metric, since Apple Mail Privacy Protection inflates open rates.

2.0%

Early access click rate target, against a 0.95% beauty average

1.2%

Public launch click rate target

100%

Sell-through goal by December 31

Teaser
Click rate, target 1.2%
Last chance
Click-to-open rate, target 5.0%, against a 3.91% beauty average

Benchmarks: MailerLite, email marketing benchmarks by industry

Process

I chose the scents, wrote the strategy, and set the visual direction. I generated the product imagery in Adobe Firefly and used Claude, an AI assistant, to draft layouts, image effects, and copy. I reviewed and edited every piece before it went into this case study.

Concept campaign. Not affiliated with or endorsed by Salt & Stone.

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