e.l.f. Beauty debuted the latest episode of its “Show Your(s)e.l.f.” series with activist, Nobel Peace Prize nominee, and astronaut Amanda Nguyen as part of a wider effort to elevate the opportunities for women and girls everywhere.
Developed together with award-winning agency OBERLAND, the Show Your(s)e.l.f. film series is aimed at highlighting inspirational role models who align with e.l.f.’s advocacy of positivity, inclusivity, and accessibility. Past episodes have featured Viktoria Modesta, Anastasia Pagonis, and Chella Man.
Nguyen’s story of resilience, advocacy, and determination is showcased in this episode.
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Nguyen and e.l.f. will collaborate in February as part of the United Nations’ International Women and Girls in STEM Day. The collaboration aims to celebrate women in science, technology, engineering, and math by mobilizing women astronauts to inspire the next generation of changemakers.
Nguyen, who has rewritten laws to protect gender-based violence survivors through her nonprofit organization, Rise, will make history as the first Southeast Asian woman to travel to space on Blue Origin this year. In addition, she will use her mission to give women and girls in STEM a boost.
By highlighting influential figures like Amanda Nguyen, who champions gender equality and inspires young women, e.l.f. Beauty’s “Show Your(s)e.l.f.” campaign spotlights purpose-driven marketing.
This approach aligns the brand with meaningful social causes that are near and dear to the hearts of its customers.
Championing Change with Amanda Nguyen
In this episode, Nguyen shares her journey of resilience, turning her experience as a survivor of sexual assault into a movement for justice.
The video opens with her talking about her childhood, and how her love of the stars started early. Inspired by her mother’s trek to the U.S. on a boat using celestial navigation, she enrolled in college to study astrophysics.
However, Nguyen explains how a sexual assault during her last semester put her dreams on hold, leading her to draft and pass the landmark U.S. Sexual Assault Survivor Bill of Rights.
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“It felt like a curse was breaking. This weight that had been on me had lifted,” she explains. “There are very few activists that in their lifetime put out an idea and then are able to go back to who they were before they were hurt.”
The episode takes a positive turn as Nguyen’s journey is turned around. Now, she will be the first Vietnamese and Southeast Asian woman to go to space.
She jokingly shows off her “astronaut’s closet,” parts of her personality, work, and activism. Part of her empowerment is a bold red lip, courtesy of e.l.f. Beauty.
“A red lip to me makes me feel confident, bold, and myself, and I put on a red lip before I testified in front of the world,” she explains.
The main takeaway though, is Nguyen’s message: that you can stand up for what you believe in and still achieve your dreams.
e.l.f. Beauty, and advertising agency OBERLAND debuted the third episode of the series, featuring bionic pop artist Viktoria Modesta’s journey of resilience and reinvention, last month.
The episode showcased Modesta overcoming numerous surgeries, challenging societal norms, and celebrating self-expression.
