E.l.f. Cosmetics Addresses Backlash from Matt Rife’s Beauty Campaign
E.l.f. Cosmetics has addressed the criticism directed at their campaign featuring Matt Rife.
“As you know, we’re always attentive to your feedback, and we’ve heard your concerns,” the brand stated via Instagram on Wednesday, August 13. “This campaign intended to humorously highlight beauty inequality. We acknowledge that we did not meet the expectations of our beloved e.l.f. community.” The statement continued, “While e.l.f.ino & Schmarnes wraps up today, we will persist in advocating against overpriced beauty. ❤️.”
Users on social media expressed their opinions in the comments. “I’m struggling to comprehend how this got approved in the first place 😭,” one user remarked, while another suggested, “Allocate every dollar from this campaign to domestic violence prevention or spare us your empty words.” A third commenter added, “This seems like a non-apology? What is e.l.f. planning to do apart from saying they missed the mark? Now would be an ideal time to donate to and support organizations aiding DV survivors.”
In the beauty brand’s advertising, Rife, 29, appeared in a video alongside drag queen Heidi N Closet, creating a faux legal advertisement that promoted affordable beauty products.
Many were upset to see Rife involved in the campaign, especially given his jokes about domestic violence made in a 2023 Netflix special.
Rife had initially issued a mock apology in November 2023 through his Instagram Story, stating, “If you’ve ever been offended by any of my jokes, here’s a link to my official apology. Click to address the issue.” Those who clicked were redirected to a site selling helmets for individuals with special needs.
In May 2024, he further addressed these comments during a stand-up performance at the Hollywood Bowl, stating, “Guys, I’m joking. Domestic violence is never funny, ever, in any comedy special.”
“Oooooh. Matt Rife? The guy who jokes about DV? In an ad aimed at women? That’s, um, a choice,” one social media user commented on the video released on Monday, August 11. Another questioned, “How can we identify as a girl’s girl brand if we hire Matt Rife for an ad?” while another lamented, “You just lost a lot of customers.”
E.l.f. Beauty’s global chief marketing officer, Kory Marchisotto, explained to The Business of Beauty that they selected Rife due to his 80 percent female audience, with 75 percent being under 24 years old, which they viewed as their “sweet spot.”
“We were obviously quite taken aback,” Marchisotto mentioned regarding the backlash. “There is a significant gap between our intention and how this did not resonate with some individuals … Our goal is always to spread positivity, and this time we fell short. It genuinely doesn’t feel good for us.”
Us Weekly reached out to representatives for Rife and e.l.f. Cosmetics but did not receive an immediate response.
