This month, beauty brand elf Cosmetics announced a partnership with its elf SKIN skincare collection to launch elf UP!, which is the brand’s first digital experience on the online gaming platform and game creation system Roblox. elf UP! allows players to “create dream startups that represent the places and causes they care most about,” shared Patrick O’Keefe, elf Cosmetics Vice President of Integrated Marketing Communications, and brought the elf.”brands to life in ways that are not possible in the physical world, while also providing a digital sandbox to foster creativity and entrepreneurship..”
To learn more about the unique launch, CosmeticsDesign spoke with O’Keefe about the concept behind elf UP!, the brand’s core goals behind the launch, and plans for further expansion and development at the intersection of beauty and the digital space.
Behind the elf, UP!
The idea of a digital experience that allows users to explore different digital spaces and become their own virtual entrepreneurs is partly based on the elf community itself. “Our community has asked us to be present on Roblox and we are also keeping an eye on the information.O’Keefe said. For example, he shared: “Roblox’s Digital Expression: Fashion and Beauty Trends 2023 report highlights that “88% of Gen Z believe that freedom of expression in the digital sphere has helped them feel more comfortable expressing themselves in the physical world.” And “According to the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs 2023 report, “creative, analytical thinking and coding are key skill sets for today’s workplace.”.'”
So he continued: “Our goal was to create a world that takes users on a dynamic, personalized journey to become successful entrepreneurs and cultural changemakers..” To this end, Elf UP! The Experience includes digital experiences where users can explore and express themselves where they feel most comfortable, engaged and passionate, including a virtual recording studio and karaoke bar, Big Mood, an extreme climbing gym and tech startup Power Grip. as well as a charity for underwater marine life and animals. Save Holy Hydration!, each inspired by currently available elf cosmetics or elf SKIN products.
An emphasis on integrating the entrepreneurial spirit is essential to the virtual experience, O’Keefe added, because “recent study conducted Bazarvoice reported that 62% of Gen Z are either already entrepreneurs or aspiring to become entrepreneurs..” So he continued: “The highly personalized experience promotes higher levels of self-expression while developing life skills such as gamified financial literacy and increased social awareness that users will continue to use every time they return to elf UP!.”
Communication with elf cosmetics consumers
“We want the elf UP! to be a place that our community loves to experience and play– said O’Keefe, because “elf is designed for every eye, lip, face, paw and fin.According to Statista, by launching its digital experience on Roblox, a platform with more than 70 million daily users on average as of the third quarter of 2023, the brand can become even more accessible and reach users who may not be familiar with the brand. an opportunity to experience and interact with elf Cosmetics and content inspired by elf SKIN products for the first time.
While Roblox’s fastest-growing user demographic is those aged 17 to 24, there are 40 million users over the age of 13 on the platform, a statistic that makes elf UP!. O’Keefe shared: “What we love about elf UP! is that it’s multi-generational and we’ve heard a lot of stories of parents playing it with their GenZ kids and it warms our hearts..” This shared experience, he added, “What is Elf: Breaking norms, shaping culture, and uniting communities through positivity, inclusivity, and accessibility.”
Elf Future UP!
The brand plans to continue celebrating”brave revolutionaries with kind hearts, elevating up-and-coming creators, supporting their voices and visions, giving them a platform to showcase their best elves.O’Keefe said. For this elf Cosmetics will ” unlocking the potential of every player, giving them the tools to create, create and express themselves, and partnering with key Roblox creators such as ItFunneh/The Crew, Wool, TeraBrightand more,” who will be “Connect to what Elven UP! represents, combining gameplay with exciting messages about what it means to become a changemaker“, he explained.
There are also additional plans for further development in this space. “elf UP! will continue to develop– confirmed O’Keefe, and –Future developments will include a pet adoption center where users can adopt animals to join their journey, new game mechanics, more areas inspired by new products and launches, multilingual implementation and blackberry.”
