from Social Listening to a Blockbuster Moment
Watch the trailer:
The best brand building starts with listening to your community on social. Vanity Vandals achieved 3B press impressions because it hit on a real human insight, and brought it to life in an unexpected and compelling way.
This high-octane, true-crime parody investigated one household "vandalized" by an abundance of e.l.f. products. Our storytelling approach allowed us to showcase a wide range of products in a way that felt like entertainment rather than an advertisement, achieving a 92% positive sentiment and a +33% increase in watch time vs the (very successful) prior true crime campaign.
Watch the full mockumentary here.
BRAND CHALLENGE
On an ongoing basis, e.l.f. challenges Movers+Shakers to find new and breakthrough ways to tell their brand story of prestige-quality products at an incredible value.
After our prior year’s “Cosmetic Criminals” campaign achieved incredible brand lift across many age demographics, we sought to build on this momentum in a new and fresh way.
CREATIVE SOLUTION
Following the smashing success of our first installment, "Cosmetic Criminals,” we’ve uncovered a new epidemic of cosmetic crime through deep social listening. 🕵️♀️
As we read the comments and watched UGC videos, we found a recurring tension where partners, roommates, and siblings are constantly fighting for sink space. This led to a powerful brand truth: fans have a massive volume of e.l.f. products, which is possible at their affordable price point. The "clutter" was actually a signal of brand love and value positioning.
To transform this insight into a cultural moment, we moved beyond category norms to build for entertainment rather than just the product. We launched "Vanity Vandals," a cinematic 9-minute mockumentary that utilized one of the most popular storytelling formats: True Crime.
We treated the launch like a major motion picture, hosting a red-carpet premiere at the iconic TCL Chinese Theatre for 500 influencers and fans. This "hi-fi" moment also showed up across premium streaming platforms like Hulu and Disney, while grounded by "lo-fi" social content to keep the conversation authentic.
Finally, we got the community participating in the action with the "Save Our Sink" contest. By reporting your roommate or turning yourself in, you could win a Target gift card and even an interior design consultation to beautify your vanity.
The campaign achieved:
3B Press Impressions
40M Views Across Social
92% Positive sentiment with fans demanding a sequel (or trilogy)!
+33% Watch Time vs. Part 1
Watch the full Vanity Vandals “documentary” here… and report perpetrators near you.
THE PRESS ATE IT UP
SOCIAL CONTENT
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