E.l.f. Cosmetics bows entertainment brand with original album release

Dive Brief:

• E.l.f. Cosmetics is releasing an album that’s meant to soundtrack Get Ready With Me (GRWM) videos, a popular genre on apps like TikTok, according to a press release.  
• “Get Ready With Music, The Album” is the first product to come from the cosmetic marketer’s new entertainment arm, E.l.f. Made, and was developed with agency Madwell. An initial single, “Hairpin” by Charlotte Rose Benjamin, dropped Wednesday, with an accompanying music video promoted with E.l.f. 
• The full album, which features tracks by other artists like Betty Who and Meduulla, will be available on Spotify, Apple Music, iHeart, YouTube and TikTok beginning Oct. 15. E.l.f. Made is part of the brand’s efforts to transform into a more full-fledged entertainment company.   

Dive Insight:

E.l.f., which stands for eyes.lips.face, is making a bigger crack into the entertainment space to capitalize on social media trends that help drive sales. The brand has made a splash on platforms like TikTok thanks to GRWM videos, where people walk viewers through their makeup and outfit routines step by step, often accompanied by popular tunes. “Get Ready With Music, The Album” shows E.l.f. injecting its brand into additional aspects of the content funnel, appearing not only as the products on screen but also the mastermind behind the sound bites that soundtrack viral videos. 

The launch of the E.l.f. Made division builds on past efforts from the beauty and cosmetics company that aim to entertain. E.l.f. has previously released music, including “ojos. labios. cara” with Manuel Turizo and an “e.l.f. the Hauls” holiday album, along with recording the first branded original music for a TikTok hashtag challenge in 2019. 

“Get Ready With Music, The Album” feels like a step up in ambition in relation to music, roping in a roster of up-and-coming artists and involving music videos that are common to album promotional cycles. One for Benjamin’s “Hairpin” shows the Brooklyn-based artist floating in zero gravity aboard a G-Force One flight.

E.l.f.’s hefty marketing spending has boosted performance in a competitive category subject to fast-changing consumer preferences. The company increased marketing spending to 25% of net sales in fiscal 2024, a major jump from 7% of net sales in 2019. That translated to a 77% year-over-year increase in net sales in fiscal 2024 to $1.02 billion. Net sales for the most recent financial period were up 50% YoY to $324.5 million while E.l.f. raised its full-year guidance. 

Other brand marketers are stepping up their entertainment bets to connect with consumers who have cut the cord on traditional ad-supported channels. Chick-Fil-A is exploring original programming for a streaming service, with a focus on family friendly content, Deadline reported in August.