Dive Brief:
- E.l.f. Beauty launched a social-first campaign, “The Sound of Kindness,” in partnership with skin care company Beekman 1802 and research partner Kindness.org, per details shared with sister publication Marketing Dive. The effort was timed to World Kindness Day, which took place Nov. 13.
- The campaign is inspired by the insight that audio can boost emotional wellness and includes audiovisual stories from all of E.l.f. Beauty’s brands, Kindness.org and Beekman 1802 designed to interrupt the content on users’ social feeds and prevent doomscrolling.
- E.l.f. and Beekman 1802 also returned to Roblox following a collaboration around World Kindness Day last year, and E.l.f. hosted a Twitch livestream to discuss the science of sound and its impact on emotion.
Dive Insight:
E.l.f. leaned into the power of sound for World Kindness Day in a push to curb doomscrolling, the action of scrolling through depressing content on social media, and inspire consumers to acts of kindness instead. The campaign is informed by studies reviewed by Kindness.org revealing that “kindness is good for you” and audio can boost emotional wellbeing, help lower stress, enhance mood and encourage prosocial behavior, per release details.
Key to the campaign are unique audiovisual stories that were shared by all of E.l.f. Beauty’s brands — E.l.f. Cosmetics, E.l.f. Skin, Well People, Alicia Keys’ Keys Soulcare, Naturium and recently acquired Rhode, the skin care brand founded by Hailey Bieber — along with Beekman 1802 and Kindness.org. For example, E.l.f. Cosmetics and E.l.f. Skin’s ASMR content transformed product sounds into calming natural elements, while Rhode’s content focused on the sound of running water, paired with visuals of a bubble bath.
@elfyeah this is your sign to pause, listen, and relax this #WorldKindnessDay ???? did you know natural sounds can actually lower stress and boost positive vibes ☺️ we’re proud to collaborate with @Beekman 1802 , @Well People , @Keys Soulcare , @Naturium , and @rhode skin on this meaningful campaign inspired by research from @Kindness.org ???? what sounds inspire kindness for you ???? #elfcosmetics #eyeslipsface #makeupasmr #soundbath ♬ original sound - e.l.f. Cosmetics
Beekman 1802’s content featured baby goats at play, a reflection of the fact that goat milk is a key ingredient in the brand’s products. Kindness.org shared an instrumental “You Are My Sunshine” soundtrack. The content is intended to disrupt users’ feeds and will be combined with a call-to-action to pay it forward and share the moments with others.
E.l.f. and Beekman 1802 also returned to Roblox, building on a partnership from last year around World Kindness Day, to offer players an immersive world filled with various calming sounds. As part pf the experience, users can find baby goats, another call back to Beekman’s brand, and welcome them to a “Kind Farm.” E.l.f. first activated on Roblox in 2023 with E.l.f. Up!, an experience designed to teach financial literacy and cater to Gen Z’s entrepreneurial spirit.
Additionally, E.l.f. hosted a livestream on Amazon-owned Twitch on their E.l.f. You! channel featuring Beekman 1802 co-founder Dr. Brent Ridge, Kindness.org Chief Science Officer Dr. Oliver Scott Curry and Adrian DiMatteo, a sound therapist and founder of the Sonic Institute. The livestream showcased the executives discussing the science of sound and creating an E.l.f. Beauty-inspired soundscape for the community.
E.l.f. has repeatedly made purpose a core part of its marketing strategy. The beauty purveyor last month launched a global campaign entitled “Give an e.l.f.” to showcase its annual Impact Report, which highlights the brand’s achievements in areas like culture and the environment, and challenges consumers to fuel their own sense of purpose. A year ago, the company launched “Dupe That!,” a campaign inviting other companies to join its efforts in making a positive impact.
