e.l.f. Cosmetics
Changing the game with a "TikTok Gamers Greatest Talent" x Branded Hashtag Challenge TikTok-first activation
The Objective
Empowering and uplifting the gaming community on TikTok
e.l.f. Cosmetics is known for disrupting industry norms, shaping culture and connecting communities through positivity, inclusivity and accessibility. With a passion for empowering others and encouraging self-expression for every eye, lip, and face, the beauty brand looked to TikTok to connect with its strong North American gaming community by showcasing e.l.f. as a go-to beauty brand for gamers.
The Solution
Discovering gamers’ talent with a TikTok-first contest and live series
e.l.f. Cosmetics launched its new line to further its commitment to “Game Up,” the brand’s term for the intersection of gaming and makeup. But to really make a splash, e.l.f. knew it’d have to go big, so it took the stage in front of TikTok’s massive gaming audience with a first-of-its-kind gaming x beauty activation: TikTok Gamers Greatest Talent.
The gaming community is talented, but who are they when they’re not behind a screen? “TikTok Gamers Greatest Talent” was about to find out! e.l.f. Cosmetics and Enthusiast Gaming partnered with TikTok on a Branded Hashtag Challenge to discover gamers’ hidden talents outside of gaming and put them on full display for the world to see. The Hashtag Challenge invited gamers of all kinds to showcase their incredible talents for a chance to win a $25,000 grand prize and appear on the TikTok Gamers Greatest Talent & Luminosity live show.
Staying true to e.l.f.’s brand ethos of inclusivity for every eye, lip and face, #TikTokGGT called on gamers of all kinds and all levels, including recreational gamers, cosplayers, hardcore gamers alike, to showcase their most unique talents. The captivating Hashtag Challenge attracted participants with all different skills like fiddle playing, jump roping with fire, creating incredible sand art, and everything in between.
The top contestants then went head-to-head on a live show series where veteran gamers and well-known TikTok creators rotated as judges. Creators and gamers like @ToriPoreno, @muselk, and @loserfruit had their minds blown as different participants took the stage, falling in love with their favorites as they voted who would move on to the next level of the competition. In addition to partnering with big-name creators, e.l.f. also used TopView—TikTok’s biggest billboard—to increase viewership of the live series and overall awareness leading up to the show’s premiere.
The Results
A big win for the beauty brand
While there could only be one winner, Gamers Greatest Talent proved that gamers are more than just gamers, that’s for sure! The competition brought in 2.5 million video creations and 11,000 applications of users showcasing their unique talents. And as they shared their skills, the rest of the TikTok community looked on in awe: the Hashtag Challenge page garnered 9 billion video views in just six days, exceeding TikTok benchmarks by 31% in the US alone, and an average watch time of 9.6 seconds.
Gamers Greatest Talent furthered shined a light on e.l.f. Cosmetics’ passion for inclusivity, helping to reach its awareness and engagement goals. And while this was the first-ever gaming x beauty activation on TikTok, it certainly won’t be the last: the platform has become a critical part of the brand’s gaming efforts as it continues its momentum to become the go-to beauty brand for gamers.
TikTok’s Gamers Greatest Talent marked our first foray into connecting with the TikTok gaming creator community and it was the perfect platform to further immerse e.l.f. into gaming. The engagement from the campaign was off the charts, and it helped us reach new gaming creators who then hosted their own streams on our Twitch channel, e.l.f. YOU. It was empowering, uplifting and very inspirational. I would 1000% recommend TikTok and activations like this to all brands looking to ignite a connection with the community."
