Elf Cosmetics Faces Backlash Over Matt Rife Ads

An executive at Elf Cosmetics is trying to calm social media users after recent ads featuring comedian Matt Rife triggered significant backlash. In an interview with Business of Fashion, Kory Marchisotto, the brand’s chief marketing officer, expressed surprise at the negative reactions, clarifying that their intention was never to offend.

“We’re clearly very surprised,” Marchisotto stated, acknowledging a disconnect between their intentions and how the content was received. “There’s a gap between our intentions and how this missed the mark for some,” she added, emphasizing that they aim to spread positivity.

The controversy erupted after Elf’s recent advertisements were posted across major social media platforms. The ads featured Rife alongside characters named “Elfino & Schmers.” Critics, including several prominent beauty influencers, were quick to point out that the comedian had previously joked about sensitive topics, including domestic violence, during his stand-up special, “Natural Selection.”

In one instance from the special, Rife made a lighthearted jab referencing a waitress with visible injuries, stating, “Yeah, but I feel like if she can cook, she won’t have dark eyes.” Not everyone found this humorous, leading to considerable criticism.

Marchisotto expressed regret over the incident, saying, “It’s hard when we feel we’ve been honest but it backfired.” The beauty brand published a statement acknowledging the backlash and recognizing their misstep in collaborating with Rife.

“You know us; we’ve always been listening. This campaign aimed to humorously address beauty standards, but we understand we missed the mark with our community,” the brand wrote.

In response to the backlash, Nikkietutorials, a cosmetics influencer with nearly 9 million TikTok followers, criticized the ads, and others also voiced their concerns on various platforms. One TikTok user noted, “In Matt Rife’s special ‘Natural Selection,’ he opened with a domestic violence joke, implying that women don’t have black eyes if they can cook.”

Marchisotto explained that Elf chose Rife because a significant portion of his audience aligns with their target demographic—80% of his viewers are women and 75% are under 34 years old. At the time the campaign was conceived, Rife had received a positive response from 80% of his audience, so Elf believed it was a safe choice.

Rife has yet to comment publicly on the controversy or the brand’s response.