Vickie Sullivan

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Resources  >> e.l.f. Hits Branding Homerun with True-Crime Parody

Written by: Vickie Sullivan  |  May 09, 2024

e.l.f. Hits Branding Homerun with True-Crime Parody

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The world is full of marketing videos. Usually, they are just background noise or something you scroll past in your social media feeds. But a recent parody from cosmetics company e.l.f. hit a branding home run. It’s a great example of how to use humor to demonstrate a new message.

e.l.f.’s “Cosmetic Criminals” is a “true crime parody documentary” inspired by social insight from its community. The “film” captures widespread e.l.f.-pinching in households everywhere. The 15-minute spot can be found on Amazon Freevee, and it played in front of the theatrical showing of 2024’s film Mean Girls.

Here’s the blurb for the “film”:

“In 2023, reports of intergenerational cosmetic theft, also known as cos-crime or “e.l.f.-pinching,” hit an all-time high with the majority of these crimes occurring within the home. A documentary crew takes a deep dive into one family’s story, uncovering more than meets the eyes, lips and face.”

“Our e.l.f. community was the first to tell us about widespread e.l.f.-pinching within their households,” said Laurie Lam, chief brand officer of e.l.f. Beauty. “Borrowing e.l.f. holy grails from family and friends without the intention of returning, a.k.a. Intergenerational Cos Crime, is a global phenomenon—between siblings, mothers and daughters, husbands and wives—even grandparents are not spared. This insight from our community sparked an incredible idea we had to act on.”

2 Branding Strategies You Can Borrow

Humor like this can convey an idea that needs more selling than telling. Yes, this was a big production, but the format can be downsized for your marketplace.

Two strategies you can borrow:

• Spoof the popular. This format works by tapping into the familiar. e.l.f. does this in two ways:  by using the popular true crime angle and by highlighting the relatable problem of “borrowing” makeup. A great way to start is by checking your buyers’ complaints on social media for common issues.

• Leverage with both marketing and products. Pairing the film with a related movie not only ensures it reaches the ideal audience, but it also passes the relevancy test. And those “vaults” to secure makeup … they’re fun and profitable. To apply this branding tactic, make sure your spoofs lead to something else. Parody is just one tool in a bigger toolbox.

Increasingly, B2B companies use video as part of their branding and marketing plans. But they tend to be the standard explainer and behind-the-scenes views of events. If you inject humor, though, your videos are bound to stand out. And as we see, parody works.


Listen: How to Adapt a Good Idea 


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