Why Liquid Death and e.l.f.’s new collab isn’t as crazy as it seems

In a collab that’s sure to temporarily warm the cold, despairing hearts of goths everywhere, Liquid Death and e.l.f. are unveiling “Corpse Paint,” a collection of e.l.f. products with a darker, punk vibe—packaged in a little black coffin. Sign up for Ad Age newsletters From influencer marketing to agencies, get the latest news and analysis delivered to your inbox Click here The limited-edition, five-piece makeup kit consists of existing e.l.f. products, such as O FACE Satin Lipstick in All Night—a black lipstick. The full collection, which comes in a keepsake coffin featuring matte black packaging with gold lettering, will be available for purchase at noon ET today (March 26) on elfcosmetics.com for $34. (Update: The brand said the collection sold out in 45 minutes.) E.l.f. teased the collab on Monday in an Instagram post that showed a can of Liquid Death with a black lipstick smudge on the rim. View this post on Instagram A post shared by e.l.f. Cosmetics and Skincare (@elfcosmetics) For launch day, the brands teamed up on a video, styled like a cheesy upbeat beauty infomercial, in which a pair of girls are seen obsessing over a goth dude in a teen magazine who has KISS-like makeup. The guy soon jumps out of the magazine and into the room, where he shows the girls how to apply the Corpse Paint makeup. By the end, the girls are sporting their own Corpse Paint looks—as a mother appears in the doorway with “vegan goat’s blood” refreshments. While the collab certainly feels unexpected, both brands told Ad Age that they share similar DNA as disruptors with an entertainment-first approach to marketing. “When we were approached by e.l.f. to do something together, it initially made no sense, which is exactly why we knew we had to do it,” said Andy Pearson, VP creative at Liquid Death. “But they’re also an incredible brand that’s purpose-driven and has their own massive cult following. It seemed like finding a way to crash these two brands together would lead to something really fun and wild.” Also read: 5 lessons from Liquid Death’s VP of creative “Unexpected is the strategy,” said Kory Marchisotto, chief marketing officer at e.l.f. Beauty. “This is a beautiful collision between two bold disruptors who are on a mission to ignite, delight and entertain. Beneath the surface, we are both purpose-driven, bringing the element of fun to every aspect of what we do and who we are. Corpse Paint is a bold new expression of our two worlds.” Pearson added that the frenzied comments under the teaser post showed “how much energy there already is behind this collab.” The Corpse Paint collection features the following products, renamed especially for the collab: The brand also released step-by-step instructions on how to get “the Corpse Paint look”: Liquid Death and e.l.f. have both embarked on collabs before. Last year, e.l.f. teamed up with American Eagle for collection aimed at Gen Z shoppers. Liquid Death’s recent collabs include partnerships with Coinbase, Netflix and Fortnite. Check out the latest Ad Age events and award programs

Why Liquid Death and e.l.f.’s new collab isn’t as crazy as it seems

Featured Stories