How Madwell is helping e.l.f reach new audiences

Cosmetics brand e.l.f. Beauty has been behind plenty of marketing hits in recent years. But few have been more effective at taking on a specific marketing challenge than Madwell’s “ojos. labios. cara.” campaign. The effort—which uses the Spanish version of the brand’s “eyes. lips. face.” moniker—was based on the insight that only 35% of Hispanics say that they are seeing more beauty brands or products for people of color, according to the agency. To reach the community, Madwell partnered with Colombian music superstar Manuel Turizo. He wrote an original song accompanied by a music video that depicts him being captivated by the beauty and confidence of a Latin woman. It has drawn more than 14 million views on YouTube, performing 2.8 times better than any previous e.l.f. YouTube video, according to the agency. See all of the 2024 Small Agency award winners here The results speak to the care Brooklyn, New York-based Madwell puts into its work. It runs every strategy brief, concept, script, casting decision and rough cut by its DE&I panel. The panel includes agency staffers representing various races, genders and sexual orientations and is led by Gabriela Benitez, who was recently promoted to agency president. The approach keyed “ojos. labios. cara.,” which used Latin creative and production talent to help the ad authentically portray the mid–20th century Pachucas subculture of stylish Mexican women who defied stereotypes. The e.l.f account has been a significant source of growth for Madwell, whose other top clients include Verizon’s Visible Wireless brand. Madwell was also behind e.l.f.’s brand’s “Make Up Over Makeup” series that has featured famous one-time couples talking about their relationships (and breakups), including “Love Is Blind” stars Jimmy Presnell and Chelsea Blackwell and influencers Chris Olsen and Ian Paget. Also read: How e.l.f. Got Chris Olsen and Ian Paget to open up The series spotlights Madwell’s interdisciplinary talents. It was produced by Starfish, part of a trio of content units Madwell formed in 2019 called Sibling. Also included are the experiential and activation arm Bankrobber as well as Millwright, a fabrication shop. Millwright even designed the desks in the agency’s Brooklyn office, a space the agency describes as a “clubhouse for creatives where every detail matters.” See all of the 2024 Small Agency award winners here

How Madwell is helping e.l.f reach new audiences

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