E.l.f. teams with Jennifer Coolidge for social-first series

Welcome to the almost-end of your first work week in May. And, of course, May the Fourth (be with you—if you’re into that).

E.l.f.’s Social-First Digital Series Promotes Principles and Products

E.l.f. launched a social-first digital content series called ‘Vanity Table Talk’ and the first episode features Jennifer Coolidge. This comes after Coolidge starred in e.l.f.’s first Super Bowl commercial this year. An animal rights activist, Coolidge supports e.l.f.’s cruelty-free products and speaks to the value-driven consumers. The next two episodes of the series will star actor Ashley Park and comedian Ziwe.

The series features a mashup of formats like the late-night show setup and trends like TikTok’s Get Ready With Me (GRWM). Each guest host will apply makeup in the GRWM-style while answering questions from off-camera and telling stories. E.l.f. also plans to use the series to launch new products and expand on other essential e.l.f. products and offerings.

E.l.f. is positioning itself as the go-to beauty brand for the Gen Z market by focusing on a social-first strategy and embracing celebrities popular among the Gen Z demographic. Unlike Maybelline’s influencer efforts to target Millennials, you likely won’t see legacy cable shows like SNL anywhere near e.l.f. campaigns.

Klarna’s First-Party Data Ads Manager

Klarna, known primarily as a buy-now-pay-later service, has overhauled its app to expand its offerings. Now, the app features a personalized shopping feed powered by artificial intelligence, an in-app personal shopping assistant called Ask Klarna, and the option to resell items on secondhand marketplaces.

Perhaps most importantly, for marketers, Klarna has added Ads Manager, a self-service platform for retailers. Using Klarna’s first-party data, Ads Manager allows brands to target relevant consumers. Additionally, the service provides ad creation, audience targeting, and in-platform reporting for campaign optimization.

Klarna’s buy-now-pay-later feature helps improve customer conversion but hadn’t always paid off in the long-run for Klarna itself. By creating an app tailored specifically for specialized, bespoke commerce, Klarna’s diversifying its revenue streams by targeting ad dollars. Marketers may want to allocate ad spend here simply because of Klarna’s conversion rates.

Around the Web

• Congress is investigating fast-fashion brand Shein for using forced labor.

• TikTok is adding video disclosures for AI-generated content.

• YouTube introduces new advertising capabilities for YouTube Shorts.

• Mark Shambura of Mod Pizza joins Papa John’s as CMO.

• Snap unveils new ad offerings at NewFronts.

Just Can’t Get Enough

The Met Gala. More specifically, the Karl-Lagerfeld's-cat-inspired looks at the Met Gala.

• Doja Cat and Jared Leto indulged in feline fashion.

• And they weren’t the only ones.

What are your thoughts on the e.l.f. cinematic universe? Will you check out Klarna’s new personalized shopping feed? Does your brand belong there? Reply and let us know your thoughts, even if it’s just to say how much you love Jennifer Coolidge!

Thanks for joining us, and we’ll see you Tuesday!