Why this Ulta K-beauty bestseller is enlisting the undead to market its new eye cream

FastCompany: What do zombies have to do with skincare? The K-beauty brand Peach & Lily is making connection with its latest face cream—and rolling it out with a marketing campaign straight out of a George Romero movie. Peach & Lily’s Advanced Rebound BioGLow Zombie Cream is designed to target “zombie cells” that can contribute to aging. The $59 cream launches July 27 on the brand’s website and as a retail exclusive at Ulta Beauty—where Peach & Lily tops the K-beauty category and is the second-largest prestige brand.

For the cream, Peach & Lily is combining the latest in skin science with clever marketing to get people curious about the cells being addressed by the cream. What are zombie cells? Zombie cells, aka senescent cells, are damaged cells that haven’t died. In skin, they release signals that cause inflammation, which contributes to the aging process. Peach & Lily’s CEO, Alicia Yoon, says the presence of the cells—and the havoc they wreak on skin—was something she’s wanted to tackle but didn’t have a good solution for until recently.

[Photo: Peach & Lily] “We can have science that understands the mechanism of things that are happening in our skin, but sometimes it takes a minute for the research to catch up on ingredients that can actually do something about it,” Yoon says. “We kept testing and formulating and seeking out the best ingredients and so forth. Through the advancements in skincare, [we can address] senescent cells in a scientifically rigorous formula.” One of those new ingredients is Eterwell Youth. Introduced in 2024, the ingredient is derived from an alpine willow plant and included in Peach & Lily’s product to remove senescent cells.

Peach & Lily’s product also uses an antioxidant called fisetin to calm signs of inflammation linked to the cells, and includes a biosynthetic placenta growth factor complex to repair the damage left on the skin. [Photo: Peach & Lily] Penny Coy, senior vice president of marketing at Ulta Beauty, says the cutting-edge formulation was part of what enticed Ulta to be the product’s exclusive retailer. “It’s not just another product launch,” she says. “It’s innovation [in] treatment-inspired science . . .

which very much excited us.” Undead outreach As it rolls out the product, Peach & Lily is combining the need to educate consumers about the product with an out-of-the-casket marketing campaign. “One thing that has been a winning combination for us is pairing breakthrough innovation with breakthrough marketing,” Yoon says. When it teased the launch on July 23, the brand posted a video of a model whose face transforms into a zombie’s visage. For the launch, it has enlisted actors in full zombie makeup to advertise the product. @peachandlilyofficial Some things refuse to die. Something is coming for them.

7.27.26 ♬ original sound – Peach & Lily In New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago, Peach & Lily will deploy the zombie actors to install interactive, tear-away ads on streets across the cities. “[The ad] is only showcasing zombies,” Yoon says. “It sets up the consumer to already be asking the question, ‘Why zombies?’ So . . . there’s a natural resolution when we educate on zombie cells.” It’s not the first time Peach & Lily’s influencer marketing has taken an unconventional approach.

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The use of a zombie theme in marketing skincare products is a creative approach that stands out in the industry, making it significant and relevant for brand strategy professionals looking for innovative ways to engage consumers.