Courtesy Indianapolis Motor Speedway
INDIANAPOLIS (Tuesday, May 21, 2024) – e.l.f. Cosmetics (NYSE: ELF), one of only four U.S. publicly traded companies with a board that’s two-thirds women and one-third diverse, is making history at the 108th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge. In addition to becoming the first beauty brand to serve as a primary sponsor of a driver in the race, e.l.f. also will become the first brand in this category as an Official Partner of Indianapolis Motor Speedway and “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.”
“Adding a partner like e.l.f. Cosmetics introduces the Racing Capital of the World to new audiences, including women and girls,” IMS President J. Douglas Boles said. “e.l.f. is engaging with our fans in new and exciting ways from Roblox and Snapchat to their 500 Beauty Squad loyalty members. Visitors to IMS will definitely want to check out e.l.f.’s immersive activation space while at the track during race weekend.”
e.l.f.’s additional presence at the Racing Capital of the World follows the company’s expanded partnership with the driver of the #51 e.l.f. Cosmetics Honda, Katherine Legge, the only woman in the field of 33 drivers.
“At e.l.f., we want to see more women in the driver’s seat – whether in the boardroom, on the court, in the stands or on the racetrack,” said Kory Marchisotto, chief marketing officer, e.l.f. Beauty. “We believe inclusivity gives communities who are so passionate about something like racing a win-win outcome because it brings more people into the tent as fans, talent and sponsors. Nine trailblazing women have competed in the Indy 500, and we hope to see this number grow swiftly in the years ahead while also expanding roles and opportunities on teams and crews. Our goal is to create spaces where women and girls feel included and accepted, giving them the confidence to take the wheel and set their own course.
“e.l.f.’s expansion into sports connects to our broader mission to push for diversity in boardrooms and beyond. We know that 94% of female C-suite leaders played sports; it’s an integral part of their success and community. And when women get in on the action, culture progresses.”
e.l.f. is also hitting IMS beginning Friday, May 24 with an immersive activation space that empowers legendary females and history makers with a festival-style footprint that will continue through the race Sunday, May 26. At the heart of this 40×40 interactive experience is the “Lip Oil Change,” a racetrack-themed activation complete with a pit crew of “glow-up” artists, limited-edition merchandise, including bumper sticker magnets (“Eyeliner as Sharp as My Turns”, “Back the e.l.f. Up”, “Pls Let me Merge before my Mascara Runs”), a female DJ to get the party started and, of course, e.l.f.’s holy grail, Glow Reviver Lip Oils.
On Saturday, May 25, just after sunset at the Firestone Legends Day Concert, e.l.f. will deploy 500 drones for the first-ever Indy 500 Drone Show in downtown Indianapolis. The drones will bring the race to life in the sky in a magical way with 2-D shapes and images, including 3-D animations of IMS’s iconic Wing & Wheel logo, e.l.f. products and Legge’s INDYCAR SERIES car, to truly show that anything is e.l.f.ing possible.
For fans at home, e.l.f. also will launch a custom Indy 500 extension on its Roblox experience, “e.l.f. UP!”, which has racked up 10 million players to date.
Further, e.l.f. will also launch a Snapchat Indy 500 lens extension through its account “@elfcosmetics.”
The brand will also be livestreaming on Race Day through its Twitch channel “@elfyeah,” with the first-ever female host of the Indy 500, Lindsay Czarniak.
Lastly, to further fuel the brand’s 360 Indy 500 efforts, e.l.f. also will give away a year’s worth of Lip Oils to 500 Beauty Squad loyalty members as part of its “Lip Oil Changes for a Year” sweepstakes. From Friday, May 24 to Thursday, May 30, fans can enter here for a chance to win.
The 108th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge is scheduled for Sunday, May 26, with coverage beginning at 11 a.m. ET on NBC, Universo, Peacock and the INDYCAR Radio Network.
For more information about e.l.f. or IMS, please visit, www.elfbeauty.com or www.ims.com.
