How E.l.f.'s Comedy Special Cracked the Gen Z Health Message Code

You can't lecture Gen Z into healthy behavior. But you can make them laugh their way into it.

Their "Sunhinged" comedy special hit 10 million views in week one.

• ​64% of Gen Zers often forget to apply sunscreen.​
• ​75% of Gen Z wants brands to "make them laugh."​
• ​90% of people are more likely to remember a funny ad.​

More importantly, it solved a problem every health brand faces.

How do you get young people to care about boring but important stuff?

E.l.f. figured it out. They turned sunscreen into entertainment.

Research Intelligence

45 minutes dedicated multi-AI research

✅ [23] sources across 3 AIs

✅ [12] primary company sources
✅ [4] industry regions covered

✅ [8] cross-industry patterns confirmed

The Strategic Choice

Here's what works when traditional health messaging fails.

E.l.f. discovered a massive behavior gap. 64% of Gen Z forget sunscreen despite being skincare obsessed.

The smart move? Don't fight the resistance. Go around it.

Instead of lecturing about skin cancer, they roasted the sun. Literally.

Marie Faustin hosted a 20-minute YouTube comedy special (youtube link below). Celebrity guests included Meghan Trainor and drag performer Heidi N' Closet.

They partnered with Above Average, the Emmy-winning production company behind Saturday Night Live content.

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The reality is simple. Research shows 90% of people remember funny ads.

Only 34% of Gen Z see skin cancer prevention as important.

E.l.f. met them where they were, not where health experts wanted them to be.

Smart CMOs recognize the pattern. Entertainment bypasses resistance that education creates.

Here's the Transferable Pattern

"The Entertainment Trojan Horse"

This works because audiences voluntarily consume entertainment. They share it. They remember it.

The psychology is straightforward. Wrap your serious message in content people actually want.

Your audience gets the "dessert" (comedy, music, story).

They accidentally consume the "vegetable" (health message, behavior change).

What this means for you: Stop interrupting culture. Start creating it.

The key is genuine entertainment value. It must work even without your brand message.

Where Else This Pattern Wins

Here's where else this approach delivers results:

Metro Trains - "Dumb Ways to Die":

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Turned railway safety into a catchy animated music video. 325+ million views and 20% reduction in train accidents.

Always - "#LikeAGirl":

Made puberty confidence into a social experiment documentary.

This is the original video, often referred to as a social experiment documentary: Always #LikeAGirl​

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152+ million views and 50% brand preference increase over competitors. While exact numbers vary across sources, the campaign's success is well-documented.

A press release from PR Newswire reports the video achieved 114 million views in less than a month.

Multiple sources, including this case study, confirm the significant increase in brand preference: Always #LikeAGirl Case Study​

Dove - "Real Beauty Sketches":

Created art experiment about self-perception. This is the official video of the social experiment: Dove Real Beauty Sketches​

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114 million views in first month, sales doubled from $2.5B to $4B.

The video's view count of 114 million in less than a month is confirmed by a press release from PR Newswire: PR Newswire: Dove Real Beauty Sketches Becomes The Most Viewed Online Video Ad Of All Time.

Regarding sales, a case study analysis shows that Dove's sales doubled from $2 billion in 2004 to $4 billion in 2007: Dove's “Real Beauty” Campaign: Empowerment and $4B Sales​

Strategic Durability

Bottom line for you: This approach stays effective for 12-18 months, then needs evolution.

The gap between entertainment preference and brand execution keeps widening. 90% of consumers prefer funny brands, but only 20% of companies use humor.

The window for first-mover advantage is closing fast. Production values will inflate as more brands attempt this.

What this means: Lock in entertainment partnerships now.

Build internal content capabilities like E.l.f.'s "E.l.f. Made" studio.

The core insight remains sound. Entertainment bypasses psychological defenses better than education.

But execution must stay ahead of audience sophistication and competitive copying.

Red Flags to Avoid: Those Who Failed At "The Entertainment Trojan Horse"

The entertainment approach carries significant risks. Here's what goes wrong:

Cultural Sensitivity Failures:

E.l.f.'s own follow-up campaign "e.l.f.ino & schmarnes" backfired when they cast comedian Matt Rife after his domestic violence controversy.

The brand had to end the campaign early and issue apologies, stating they "missed the mark with people we care about in our e.l.f. Community."

Tone-Deaf Timing:

​Pepsi's Kendall Jenner protest ad (2017) trivialized Black Lives Matter protests by suggesting social justice issues could be solved with a can of soda.

​Pulled within 24 hours after "instant condemnation."

Brand Permission Gaps:

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​McDonald's "Dead Dad" UK ad attempted emotional entertainment about grief but felt exploitative.

The campaign received over 100 complaints to the ASA for "inappropriately using bereavement to sell fast food."

And to be honest, it's a bit cringy rather than "touching."

Warning Signs to Watch:

• Talent with recent controversies or polarizing statements
• Topics too serious for humor treatment (grief, social justice, trauma)
• Entertainment that feels forced for your brand personality
• Insufficient cultural research on audience sensitivities

Success requires authentic brand permission and extreme cultural sensitivity.

Sources & Research Links

• ​e.l.f. SKIN Roasts the Sun in New Comedy Special - BusinessWire​
• ​Blending comedy and cause: E.l.f. SKIN's bid to reach Gen Z - eMarketer​
• ​Melbourne Metro video marketing campaign: Dumb ways to die - Smart Insights​
• ​Dumb Ways to Die - Wikipedia​

Multi-LLM Insight Callout:

All three AI models spotted the same core pattern.

Entertainment creates voluntary message consumption versus forced education.

Interesting split in the analysis:

ChatGPT emphasized cultural positioning.

Claude focused on behavioral psychology mechanics.

Gemini highlighted production credibility risks.

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Your Passionate Marketing Research Assistant

Matt Heyn
Point of Contact & Copywriter at VyB

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