'So Many Dicks' campaign pays off

Viral campaign propels e.l.f Beauty

What you probably already know: If you haven’t caught e.l.f. Beauty’s “So Many Dicks” marketing campaign, you’ve missed out. The campaign is commentary on the number of Richards, Ricks and Dicks on corporate boards — more than there are women and underrepresented groups. It’s a bold stance for a beauty company, and it’s paying off.

Why? A quarter of the company’s business now comes through social channels and the website, and that business is up 70% this last quarter. The company acquired high-end beauty brand Naturium, which is popular with Millennials, last year. E.l.f has more than $1 billion in annual sales.

What it means: Beauty brands have taken strong stances before. Like Dove’s “Real Beauty” campaign, which helped boost revenue by 10% in a single year, tapping into the cultural zeitgeist can be a powerful driver for the business.

What happens now? The company’s stock was up 14% Thursday when it reported strong earnings and 21 quarters of steady growth. E.l.f. is now the No. 2 beauty brand in the U.S. and analysts expect to see continued growth.