“The ad was written specifically for her, and we were asking her to be Judge Judy, not to play a character,” which may have helped tip the scales, said Kory Marchisotto, CMO at e.l.f. Beauty. “And we included some of her Judy-isms in the script.”
‘Veteran attitude’
The brand scored with consumers and critics with Jennifer Coolidge’s regional ad in 2023, snagging 60 billion impressions, 10 times the reach of any previous effort, and significantly boosting sales of the Power Grip Primer product, per Marchisotto.
“Women are traditionally underserved in the Big Game,” with beauty ads making up less than 1% of the event’s commercials despite women being nearly half the viewing audience, she added.
Following the Coolidge coup, which lifted brand awareness, engagement and other metrics, “all the signals told us to come back stronger, and lean in more.”
The team was aiming for breakthrough and memorable for the expanded national buy, anticipating competition in the category.
“We knew early on that we’d need to show up with a veteran attitude and outdo ourselves,” Vaughan said. “We wanted the campy daytime TV courtroom vibe, with a super eclectic cast of characters to achieve that silly, unrestrained, over-the-top Super Bowl sensibility.”
The result is a cheeky spot that’s brimming with boldface names. Aside from the mini-Suits reunion, there’s singer-songwriter and e.l.f. ambassador Meghan Trainor, comedian Benito Skinner, Jury Duty’s Ronald Gladden, NFL player-turned sports analyst Emmanuel Acho and RuPaul’s Drag Race contestant HeidiNCloset.
Easter eggs include Sheindlin’s granddaughter and e.l.f.’s attorney—the person responsible for securing the talent contracts during a tight three-week turnaround—in the jury box.
The beauty brand isn’t alone in stuffing its spot with stars. Bud Light, FanDuel, M&M’s, Booking.com and Uber are all planning multi-celebrity commercials for Super Bowl 58.
Diverse talent
The intergenerational cast intends to target a wide swath of consumers from different demos, driving home an inclusive marketing message.
“So many Super Bowl ads smell of massive talent budgets, but they’re missing the intentionality or the creative ‘why,’” Vaughan said. “We were very deliberate in casting characters from across the cultural spectrum so everyone in the audience can have at least one ‘if you know you know’ fun moment of recognition.”
Zach Woods, an actor-writer known for HBO’s Silicon Valley and NBC’s The Office, directed the spot, which promotes Halo Glow Liquid Filter, a complexion booster that became the brand’s top-selling product last year with the help of TikTok and Trainor.
A 60-second hero spot, along with the 30-second ad running in the Big Game on Feb. 11, will get distribution for the next several months as part of e.l.f.’s broader marketing plan, Marchisotto said.
Shadow, with an assist from production partner Imposter, shot at a Los Angeles location full of legal-themed sets.