Dive Brief:
- E.l.f. Cosmetics will debut a five-song holiday album on Triller, billing itself as the first beauty brand to launch a campaign on the video-sharing app, according to news shared with Marketing Dive. The "e.l.f. the hauls" album and broader marketing effort were developed with agency Movers+Shakers.
- The cosmetics company partnered with up-and-coming musicians Halston Dare, Yasmeen, Kiana V and Rosette to take on seasonal classics with a brand-focused twist, such as tracks "Jingle Bells (e.l.f. Remix)" and "Joy to the World (e.l.f. Remix)." Each song is accompanied by a music video starring influencers that will be shared to Triller, with additional versions running on Instagram, YouTube and TikTok.
- Triller is frequently positioned as a rival to TikTok, the ByteDance-owned app where E.l.f. has previously gone viral thanks to original music. Directing more marketing investments toward Triller shows the cosmetics marketer continuing to place bets on emerging digital platforms where Gen Z spends time.
Dive Insight:
E.l.f.'s album of remixed holiday classics is noteworthy for debuting on Triller, an app that's vying for the same audiences as TikTok and has a similar focus on music-oriented, short-form videos. The cosmetics marketer has seen frequent success on ByteDance's platform, particularly when it comes to producing original songs. A music challenge centered on the E.l.f. name — an acronym of "Eyes. Lips. Face." — resulted in one of the most viral campaigns in TikTok history, leading to over 5 million user-generated videos, according to a case study shared by partner agency Movers+Shakers.
Even as TikTok continues to help E.l.f. raise brand awareness with coveted young consumer groups, the marketer is clearly pushing to diversify its digital media bets. The brand has tapped a team of influencers to star in the "e.l.f. the hauls" Triller music videos, including Loren Gray, Michael Le, and the Bad Wiggies, which might help it connect with young audiences who would rather receive messages from content creators than celebrity spokespeople. The videos feature holiday kits E.l.f. is selling through its web shop and exclusively in-stores at Target.
Triller has a fraction of TikTok's user base, and its self-reported audience size has been contested, per a recent report by Business Insider. But Triller may be able to sidestep controversy if it continues to snag more buy-in from brands that can lend it greater credibility and revenue potential. NYX Professional Makeup, an E.l.f. competitor that also has a heavy TikTok presence, plans to roll out a campaign Wednesday that will feature a Triller component, including a livestreamed concert, Glossy reported.
Pepsi earlier this month announced it would sponsor a virtual hip-hop competition on Triller hosted by the artist Fat Joe. The "Your Wildest Dreams" contest runs through Dec. 15 and will grant the winner a spot in a Wild Cherry Pepsi commercial set to air next year. Influencers, too, are paying more attention to the app. Charli D'Amelio, who is the most popular TikTok creator with an audience of 102.4 million followers, joined Triller in September.
E.l.f. is running other digital experiments as part of its bid to court Gen Z beauty buyers. The company last month unveiled a partnership with Kathleen Belsten, a Twitch gaming streamer and social media personality who goes by the name Loserfruit and commands millions of followers. With the tie-up, E.l.f. is looking to tap into a gamer market it views as underserved by cosmetics brands, including male followers of Loserfruit.
