e.l.f. Beauty Chooses Bigfoot to Debut Its First Haircare Line

e.l.f. Beauty is stepping into haircare with a six-product collection and a cinematic campaign that gives an unlikely icon the spotlight.

"What the h.e.l.f.?" just launched e.l.f. Hair, the brand's first dedicated haircare line, that expands its affordable prestige mantra into a new category.

Created by Tombras and directed by Ulf Johansson, the hero spot follows Bigfoot in the woods as he discovers the haircare line in a camping bag.

A few spritzes later, he struts through the forest with flawless hair and stumbles into an impromptu photoshoot with actor Peyton List and influencer Yonna Jay.

The effort also extends into Roblox, where players can style avatars with exclusive digital hair accessories and products in e.l.f. UP!

"Our community has been asking us to bring e.l.f.fordable luxury into hair, and we listened," Kory Marchisotto, president of e.l.f. Brands, said in a press release.

"e.l.f. Hair is a natural next step, rooted in our belief that the best of beauty should be accessible to every eye, lip, face, and now hair."

The category expansion gives the company another opportunity to convert brand loyalty into new product purchases.

Bigfoot Is the New h.e.l.f. Spokesperson

The 60-second spot opens like an outdoor adventure film before pivoting into a beauty story when the towering Bigfoot emerges with salon-worthy hair.

As the creature confidently poses, dances, and flips its hair, List and Jay move from confusion to admiration.

The humor stems from the simple insight that great hair can become a source of confidence, regardless of who's wearing it.

The creative execution continues e.l.f.'s long-running approach of pairing beauty products with unexpected cultural references and internet-friendly storytelling.

The Roblox integration broadens the experience, giving younger audiences additional ways to engage with the new line.

The six-product collection is available on TikTok Shop on June 16, followed by elfhaircare.com and Target.com on June 24.

Meanwhile, the line reaches all U.S. Target stores, e.l.f.'s exclusive retail partner, on July 5.

The integrated campaign rides on the simple idea that good hair makes anyone walk taller, even Bigfoot.

The Demand Was Already There

Among e.l.f.'s community, 77% expressed purchase intent for haircare products.

Earlier test-and-learn hair products generated 96% positive social sentiment, while 65% of purchasers were new to the brand.

Mintel research also found that 84% of consumers see hair as a form of self-expression, highlighting why the category remains attractive for beauty brands.

e.l.f.'s move into haircare is supported by community demand and consumer behavior trends.

• Consumers view hair as part of personal identity. Brands should connect products to self-expression to strengthen emotional relevance.
• Existing brand trust lowers barriers to trial. Companies should extend into adjacent categories to generate new purchases from established customers.
• Humor can accelerate product discovery. Marketers should pair category expansion with memorable creative assets to attract new audiences.

When demand, category relevance, and recognizable branding align, expansion efforts can create growth without requiring brands to rebuild awareness.

Our Take: Why Cast a Creature Instead of a Celebrity?

We think casting Bigfoot is the most on-brand decision e.l.f. could have made.

A folk legend is free to use, fully ownable, and immune to scandal.

e.l.f. owns its specific version of the creature outright, so it can bring this Bigfoot back across ads, TikTok, and Roblox without paying a residual.

The irony writes itself, since a brand that sells honest, accessible beauty fronted its launch with a creature famous for not existing.

We think that the myth reinforces the pitch, because skipping a celebrity markup is the most accessible casting call a value brand can make.

Other brands should note that a public-domain character gives them a recognizable face they fully own, at a fraction of a celebrity's price.

What makes it work for e.l.f. is the humor, since a strutting Bigfoot fits a brand that has always sold beauty with a wink.

This is the same instinct behind e.l.f.'s "Vanity Vandals" film, a true-crime spoof that made messy bathroom counters the whole story.

e.l.f. keeps spotting one small human truth and producing real entertainment from it.

Master this, and you own a repeatable format that other brands have to reinvent every campaign.

Looking to introduce a new product category with stronger creative storytelling?

Explore these top branding agencies to develop campaigns that drive recognition and trial.