Elf Cosmetics, a purpose-driven beauty company, has launched a new series, “Show Your(s)Elf.” The uplifting series featuring inspirational stories from role models overcoming adversity to help bring more positivity, inclusivity and accessibility to the beauty industry.

 

Show Your(s)Elf was created and developed with Oberland, the ad agency for purpose-driven brands. 

 

“Elf is a shining example of how championing purpose drives creative growth and bolsters the bottom line,” explained Lisa Topol, managing partner and executive creative director at Oberland. “It’s what consumers just like Anastasia demand of their brands: high quality products that stand for something more meaningful and don’t just pay lip service.”

Its first installment kicks off by celebrating the heroic tale of Anastasia Pagonis, a 19-year-old blind paralympic swimmer and world record-holder. A paralympian who set multiple records in 2020, Anastasia lost her vision gradually, becoming blind at the age of 14 due to a degenerative autoimmune disease. The teen turned to social media to help herself deal with life, but as she recounts, “I noticed that it also started helping other people and that was amazing, so I kept going.” 

 

Now a social media powerhouse with a social following of over 2.7 million, she often posts videos about her life, how to navigate being blind, her approach to beauty and her journey as a competitive swimmer in hopes to help her community.

 

Sharing her battle with depression and bullying after losing her eyesight, she turned to swimming and her dog Radar to serve as a guiding light. She also tapped into her love for makeup and the Elf Cosmetics brand, to make her feel good on the inside and out.

 

“It took me a long time to adjust to who I am and to my blindness,” said Pagonis. “But now I love to embrace it and share my dark humor and my blind girl moments, because that's what makes me, me.”

To support Anastasia’s hope to help lift others, Elf is donating $75,000 to one of Pagonis’ favorite organizations, “The Hidden Opponent,” a nonprofit that raises awareness for student-athlete mental health. This is part of Elf’s plans to donate 2% of our prior year profits to drive positive impact in our communities annually.

 

Together with Pagonis, Elf is exploring ways to deepen their partnership in service to the broader community.

 

“Elf doesn’t just talk about impacting change, we make change happen,” said Kory Marchisotto, chief marketing officer, Elf Beauty. “Anastasia makes us better humans, and we hope her story will inspire others. Her profound impact on us inspired us to think differently. We are proud that Anastasia will help guide us on the journey as we work to make our cosmetics and skin care accessible for every eye, lip, face and skin concern.”

 

The first episode of Show Your(s)Elf can be viewed on the brand’s YouTube channel, here.

Click here to learn about Elf's new Table Talk series prompted by the brand's first Super Commercial with Jennifer Coolidge's, here.