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Most brands say they care.

But only a few are brave enough to show it.

Recently, e.l.f. Beauty launched a campaign that does just that
with bold faces, bold questions, and even bolder values:

“What do you give an e.l.f. about?”

It’s cheeky, yes.

But it’s also one of the clearest branding moves I’ve seen this year.

They’re building a brand around conviction.

The Power of Brand Conviction

Let’s break this down:

• They didn’t just write an Impact Report.

They paired it with a cultural moment. The campaign and the report drop hand-in-hand.

• They didn’t just donate $2.5 million.

They also built a coalition (Change the Board Game) to double diverse board representation by 2027.

• They didn’t just say “we care.”

They asked you what you care about and made that the centerpiece of the campaign.

This is what modern branding looks like:
Less “look at us.”
More “stand with us.”

Here’s Why That Matters (Even If You’re Not e.l.f.)

At Design Angel, I work with purpose-driven founders

Many of them are women,who want their brand to reflect who they are, not just what they sell.

And the truth is
It’s easy to insert values onto a website.
It’s much harder to live them out loud.

That’s why I admire what e.l.f. is doing.
They’re not just positioning themselves as affordable, vegan beauty.
They’re building emotional equity through consistency, courage, and creative clarity.

This campaign is activism in brand form.

What We Can Learn from e.l.f.

1. Say something worth standing for‍

The best brands don’t just stand out , they stand for something.

2. Make it easy to join you‍

e.l.f. builds campaigns that invite participation, not just passive watching.

3. Don’t wait for perfection‍

Earlier this year, they got called out for working with a problematic comedian.
They owned it. That’s brand maturity.

As a brand, you don’t have to solve every problem.
But you do have to choose what you give a damn about.

Because in 2025, people don’t just buy products

They buy alignment.
They buy energy.
They buy identity

And in a noisy world, conviction is your most magnetic brand asset.

So ask yourself:
What does your brand actually give an e.l.f. about?
And how are you showing it?