How Lick made decorating sexy

‘Disruptor’ is one of the buzziest buzzwords in marketing.

But when you’ve successfully turned a traditional, $93 billion industry on its head? You’ve earned the title.

Amie Caswell is an Up Club member and Head of Brand and Creative at rising home decor brand Lick. As the brand’s Head of Brand and Creative, Amie has been instrumental in shaping Lick’s approach. She’s led the charge on turning the traditionally dull industry of home decor into something social, shareable and full of personality.

We got Amie to chat us through Lick’s journey.

She spoke to us about everything from what it means to be a disruptor, how community is central to their brand, plus some wild collaborations they’ve recently pulled off… 🍅

1. Disruption is in the details

Lick’s first move? Square tins.

Literally every other brand uses round tins, so this little difference made a BIG impact when they first launched in 2020.

It got people talking, sharing and snapping pics.

Sometimes disruption is as simple as changing the shape of the thing everyone takes for granted.

2. Chaotic ideas have the most potential

Lick ran on a ‘chaotic-genius’ testing culture from day one.

Their co-founder Sam built a legendary Airtable sheet filled with experiments – some that flopped, some that went viral.

One idea that absolutely SOARED was their Heinz collab. Half the team thought it was a terrible idea.

Turns out, Heinz Ketchup Red is the shade of sauce dreams.

PR went wild, community engagement peaked and paint tins became must-have home accessories.

The results of this careful measuring were clear:

• Influencer content around flavour and convenience hit home.

• Tracksuit’s timeline feature linked campaigns to brand health growth, which helped them nail further marketing activities.

So track. Measure. Adapt. Use data to prove (or iterate) your campaigns before pouring in more budget.

3. Look outside the box

Disruptors don’t play it safe.

They push past the “but that’s not how it’s done” mindset.

Instead of looking at other paint brands, Lick drew inspo from the likes of Gymshark, Glossier and Peloton.

4. Your community is your hero

Lick built its brand on the power of community, turning customers into co-creators and superfans.

From the start, they ditched the traditional top-down marketing approach.

Instead, they put real decorators, renters and DIYers at the heart of their storytelling, and user-generated content became a driving force.

(P.S. If you’re not sure how to leverage influencer marketing for your brand, using all-in-one creator platforms like KOMI are BRILLIANT for connecting you to the right people and helping launch ROI-driven influencer campaigns. More on that below!)

… And while real homes, real transformations and real people using their products ran their social grids, their Director of Interior Design, Tash, became a trusted face of the brand, offering approachable expert advice.

5. Make your brand accessible

When Lick moved into physical retail, they didn’t just put up a shelf and call it a day.

They knew they couldn’t just rely on beautiful branding, so went BIG with digital screens, interactive quizzes and influencer collaborations in-store.

They brought their online presence to life in a way that made B&Q shoppers stop, engage and learn. It was all about making sure people got the brand, even if they were just popping in for a screwdriver.

A strong retail presence isn’t just about being in stores. It’s about standing out in stores and making the product feel accessible to ANYONE who crosses your path.

6. Build cultural moments

Lick’s brand partnerships went beyond the usual home decor collabs. Heinz, of course, was one of those, but another collab that flew was one with MAC Cosmetics.

They tapped into the idea that colour is universal, but they didn’t just take the easy route with a story about safe colours.

They wanted to make a splash.

People love black eyeliner but hesitate with black wall paint. Lick’s campaign challenged that head-on, turning it into a full-blown confidence statement for interiors.

Result? Social buzz, PR gold and a whole new audience engaging with the brand.

Now it's your turn

Just so you’ve got the short version all in one place, here’s what to steal from Lick for your own marketing playbook:

✅ Shake up the expected – sometimes a small product tweak makes all the difference.

✅ Obsess over testing – and don’t be afraid to fail (as long as it’s not too expensive).

✅ Look outside your industry – the best ideas might not come from your competitors.

✅ Build with your community, not just for them.

✅ Do the collab no one sees coming – then turn it into a cultural moment.

✅ Stay consistent – your brand should be recognisable everywhere.

✅ Adapt quickly – test new platforms, formats, and strategies.

✅ Make physical spaces work for you – even if you’re a digital-first brand.

Which of these lessons are you running with?

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