Cementing e.l.f. as an Entertainment Powerhouse

e.l.f. Cosmetics and Movers+Shakers came together to expand the limits of beauty brand marketing, cementing e.l.f.’s role as an entertainment brand.

Based on an insight mined from the community, this True Crime faux-documentary became a blockbuster moment. The 15-minute film, Cosmetic Criminals, spotlights the epidemic of "intergenerational cosmetic theft," leaving viewers of all ages laughing hysterically and complimenting the “genius marketing.”

The campaign achieved:

  • 7 billion PR impressions

  • 222M impressions across streaming, linear, podcast, video, and social

  • 14M organic views across YouTube and social

  • 400K social engagements

  • 54.1% average view duration

  • Reached 30M theater-goers across over 12,000 screens

Watch the full commercial here and watch the case study video above.

BRAND CHALLENGE

Over many years of partnership, e.l.f. and Movers+Shakers have cemented e.l.f.’s status as an entertainment brand. Every season, the challenge is to delight fans and attract new audiences with unexpected, culturally tuned-in marketing that ignites discussion across social and beyond.

CREATIVE SOLUTION

The success of Cosmetic Criminals came from identifying a powerful consumer insight and telling the story in a culturally-timely entertainment format.

We realized that many families face "intergenerational cosmetic theft," where parents and their children are “borrowing” e.l.f. products from each other. This insight was perfect fodder for one of the hottest storytelling trends: True Crime.

The Cosmetic Criminals campaign represented a groundbreaking fusion of beauty and entertainment. We designed a campaign that was placed across expected and unexpected channels: social media, YouTube, FreeVee, Prime Video, and even AMC Theatres. This marked a milestone, with e.l.f. earning the crown for longest branded content ever showcased on the big screen. Complementing the video release was a "Cosmetic Security'' kit (to help you hide your e.l.f. products from nefarious family members), which SOLD OUT in just 2 days.

Cosmetic Criminals resonated with audiences, with 14 million views across YouTube and social, with an average view duration of 54% (that’s ~8 minutes!) on YouTube, 30 million impressions across AMC Theatres, 36,000 minutes streamed on FreeVee, and 222 million impressions across streaming, linear, podcast, video, and social.

The campaign also achieved an impressive 7 BILLION PR impressions, and it was featured by publications from Adweek and Glossy to People and InStyle.

THE PRESS COULDN’T STOP TALKING ABOUT IT

SOCIAL CONTENT

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