- Cosmetics brand e.l.f. Is positioning itself as a brand with a higher purpose than simply selling beauty products with a new campaign that asks consumers, “What do you give an e.l.f. (F#@&) about?”
- The effort includes a launch video in which notables such as tennis legend Billie Jean King, soccer professional Jaedyn Shaw, astronaut Amanda Nguyen and racecar driver Katherine Legge speak about their passions directly to the camera. (Their responses are, respectively, board representation, women in sports, women’s rights and putting girls in the driver’s seat.)
- To build buzz around the campaign launch, the brand hosted a live activation in New York City where people could select a cause they care about through a custom ATM, which would trigger a donation from the brand to a corresponding nonprofit.
The campaign corresponds with e.l.f.’s release of its impact report, in which the company announced it had donated 2% of its profits (more than $2.5 million in 2025) to causes aligning with the company’s values including boardroom diversity, animal welfare, health and wellness and LGBTQ+ advocacy. The company also noted that more than three-quarters of its products are priced under $10 to maximize accessibility and nearly as many (73%) are made in Fair Trade Certified facilities.
The campaign video addresses those issues with a bold statement of telling consumers not to “give an f#@&,” but rather to “give an e.l.f.” As each of the notables address the camera about what they care about, their lips are masked by an e.l.f. logo when they utter a bleeped word.
“We all give an e.l.f. We have the courage to care and that’s how we make the world a better place for every eye, lip and face,” said Kory Marchisotto, chief marketing officer, e.l.f. Beauty, in a release. “This campaign is our collective voice calling the world to stand up, speak up and show up for what matters. It’s turning caring into a cultural movement. We’re force multiplying with icons like Billie Jean King and Amanda Nguyen to inspire everyone to take action on what they give an e.l.f. about.”
The campaign will appear across more than 40 digital screens in Moynihan Train Hall in New York’s Penn Station. A print version will appear as a two-page spread in the New York Times on Sunday, November 2.
