e.l.f. Beauty has launched its first-ever haircare line with “What the h.e.l.f.?”, a high-energy campaign starring an unlikely beauty icon: Bigfoot. The premise is simple – the elusive creature has spent decades hiding in the woods not out of mystery, but embarrassment over his frizzy, unmanageable hair. A makeover later, he steps out with a sleek blowout and newfound confidence, backed by the line’s tagline, “When your hair looks so good, it goes to your head.”
Created with agency partner Tombras and directed by Ulf Johansson, the campaign features actress Peyton List, digital creator Yonna Jay, and actor Robert Strange as Bigfoot.
The launch includes six haircare and styling products priced between $6 and $10, staying true to e.l.f.’s positioning as affordable prestige beauty. The extension follows the brand’s “Zero Distance” community pilot, where 77% of participating users asked e.l.f. to enter haircare – making the move feel community-driven rather than opportunistic.
On distribution, the line debuted exclusively on TikTok Shop to tap into social commerce momentum, before rolling out at Target as the exclusive retail partner. The campaign also extends into Roblox, where players can run virtual hair salons and redeem digital hair accessories inside the brand’s e.l.f.UP! and Glow Up! worlds.
By handing its haircare debut to a folklore figure famous for avoiding attention, e.l.f. turns a routine category launch into a culturally fluent, internet-native moment – leaning on humor rather than ingredients to make its case.
