In 2023, e.l.f. SKIN launched their new sun care collection, Suntouchable. This timing coincided with a viral anti-SPF movement sweeping across TikTok questioning the validity and safety of SPFs. In addition, many studies came out stating that more than half of Gen Z did not know that sun exposure can cause skin damage. We were tasked to create a social-first campaign that would break through this noise and would speak directly to Gen Z with the right messaging and the perfect talent to champion awareness.
The idea: Partner with Snooki, the most notoriously over-tanned icon to create a 90s-style parody PSA, begging people to Please Tan Responsibly.
The talent: Given Snooki’s sun-soaked history of living it up on the Jersey Shore since 2008, her rising fame on TikTok, Gen Z’s appetite for nostalgia, and the premiere of “Jersey Shore Family Vacation” Season 6, there was only one ‘mawma’ we could work with.
e.l.f. SKIN’s Goals were to:
The launch video leaned heavily into meshing 90s aesthetics with 2010s humor, nodding to the well-remembered PSAs of the 90s, which we filmed against a marbled backdrop. Strategically, we included throwback graphics and film filters to make the video both thumb-stopping and engaging.
The hero message extended into supporting video content that was filmed lo-fi to amp up the social native look & feel. We even included watermarks and janky green screen cuts to give it that TikTok-first vibe. We also produced responsive content based on fan commentary during launch week. An added bonus was a TikTok-first video that referenced Snooki’s infamous Letter the week of its 13th anniversary! The content was purposefully produced to live across all of the brand’s platforms and designed to meet Gen Z where they live: across social.
Anyone who grew up in the 90s knows that every successful PSA needs a toll-free number to dial for help or more information. So, we made one. Snooki was on the other end giving actual advice via a phone tree, which offered a special easter egg for fans. Call it for yourselves! 1-866-ELF-TANLINE
This bold, unexpected partnership — and Snooki’s over-the-top yet self-aware delivery — gave our social message credibility and helped it resonate with our audience. Leaning into a social-first video series allowed us to develop a multi-faceted approach that fueled the feeds of our community the week of launch. The PSA format allowed Snooki’s personality to shine—bleeps, bloopers, improvs and all. We were here for it. And so were the fans given the magnitude of commentary, with 43% more engagement than the average e.l.f. Instagram post.
The key challenge we faced was a time constraint. Given the tight deadline of launching before Labor Day Weekend, we needed an authentic talent partner who not only was natural at leaning into self-aware humor, but one who would also be able to work quickly. We also had to ensure that we were producing the right amount of content in one single production day that would feel like a well-rounded campaign and also felt very “Snooki”.
The campaign goal was to disrupt the feeds of our Gen Z community with pro-SPF messaging, and build awareness for e.l.f. SKIN’s new sun care collection. With 8.9M views, an engagement rate of 15% for the hero TikTok video, an average view rate 4x the benchmark, and endless fan comments from Gen Z and Millennials, the campaign was a success for the brand. Some of the most notable community comments across social were in relation to the generational love Snooki generates and how they will now wear sunscreen because of this campaign. This translated into sales during the week of launch. The campaign impacted the business with an 85% increase in sales of the most popular Suntouchable SKU, and a 14% lift across the Sunctouchable SPF collection.
The press took notice too, as we saw coverage across consumer/entertainment and trade press - including US Weekly and Adweek. “The warning from the fiery reality personality—famed for her memorable one-liners and love of the beach and pickles—also serves as the face of the new campaign from e.l.f. Beauty’s Suntouchable sunscreen collection.” — Adweek
