Bold e.l.f. Cosmetics campaign boosts brand familiarity among women

In May, e.l.f. Cosmetics distinguished itself with an eye-catching campaign: “So Many Dicks.” Pairing a play on words with powerful partnerships, e.l.f. advocated for corporate diversity in America while promoting its own team’s diversity.

The campaign centered on the striking statistic that there are more men named Richard, Rick, or Dick on U.S. company boards of directors than entire groups of underrepresented people. This fact, which was branded on large billboards throughout Wall Street, ultimately increased e.l.f.’s brand familiarity among female consumers.

A Call for Change

“It’s okay to be a Dick, we just need to make room for other people,” e.l.f. stated in its latest campaign.

E.l.f.’s campaign turned traditional marketing on its head. Rather than promoting beauty products, the company advocated for broader representation of minority groups in U.S. corporate boardrooms.

As part of the campaign, e.l.f. widely publicized startling facts on the lack of diversity in corporate America’s leadership. After showing the breakdown of boardroom diversity, e.l.f. partnered with the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) and tennis pro Billie Jean King to promote its message across public channels from May 13 to June 10 and “Change the Board Game.”

This educational campaign led to significant growth in U.S. women’s familiarity with the e.l.f. Cosmetics brand, according to data from QuestBrand by the Harris Poll. 

e.l.f. Cosmetics’ Brand Familiarity Among Female Consumers – 12 Week Trended Average

QuestBrand. 1/1/24-7/14/24. Base: General population of US adults, n=3,215. Base: Female US adults, n=1,710.

Amplified Advocacy

Immediately following the launch of e.l.f’s “So Many Dicks,” the way women describe the cosmetics brand also shifted. After the campaign, women more often described e.l.f. Cosmetics as “visionary” (+5.1) and “dependable” (+5.0).

Change in How Women Describe e.l.f Cosmetics Pre Vs. Post Campaign

QuestBrand. Base: Female US adults. Pre: 1/1/24-5/12/24, n=1,397. Post: 5/13/24-7/14/24, n=312.

“So Many Dicks” struck a chord with women, and boosted their familiarity with the e.l.f. brand. E.l.f. also used this campaign as an opportunity to showcase the diverse faces that make up its own board. They highlighted that out of 4,200+ U.S. publicly traded companies, e.l.f. is one of four with a board that is two-thirds women and one-third diverse. 

E.l.f.’s out-of-the-ordinary campaign captured the attention and advocacy it sought, boosting positive brand perceptions and highlighting the need for corporate change among US companies. 

“So Many Dicks” was a campaign that educated a broad audience on the importance of community representation in corporate brands. It will be interesting to see if other brands pull inspiration from e.l.f.’s advocacy and powerful use of language to distinguish not only their product, but what their company stands for as well.