Dive Brief:
- Cosmetics brand e.l.f. unveiled a campaign that aims to refresh its messaging and position it as an accessible and diverse beauty line. Agency Case created 170 brand assets, including videos and still images for digital and social channels, according to an announcement shared with Marketing Dive.
- The campaign features a video manifesto centered around communicating various "e.l.f.isms," such as "e.l.f. control — when you can have it all," "why the e.l.f. not — be extra without paying extra," and "e.l.f. respect — the feeling when you learn e.l.f. is vegan and cruelty-free" woven within the new materials.
- Influencer collaborations and an upcoming packaging refresh round out the effort. E.l.f. enlisted Case in January to help the brand stand out in the international cosmetics market that's slated to grow to $805 billion by 2023, per the announcement.
Dive Insight:
E.l.f.'s rebranding effort follows its previous influencer marketing strategy from 2017, though the brand will enlist influencers with more followers this time around. The beauty brand tapped social creators with larger followings, including Raye Boyce and Ryan Potter, which could extend the reach of the campaign that aims to deepen e.l.f.'s memorability and relatability among consumers.
"We knew we had to create a digital campaign that would be ownable, stoppable and memorable and that we needed to be clever about how we activated it through the right influencers," Enoch Palmer, Case's founding partner and creative director, said in the announcement.
Through its "e.l.f.-isms" and use of diverse influencers, the brand also appears to be following a broader industry trend of embracing inclusion and diversity over the past few years.
Beauty retail giant Ulta in September introduced Spanish-language ads with a diverse cast to redefine how beauty is portrayed and position itself as more inclusive. As the cosmetics space continues to grow more crowded and competitive, brands are looking for fresh ways to connect with younger consumers. Recognizing diversity may be a way to create resonance with millennials and Gen Zers, who are among the most eclectic generations and tend to favor brands that spotlight diversity in their marketing.
