It started with a challenge: how do you make lightning strike twice? One year ago, e.l.f. Cosmetics launched the e.l.f. x Mikayla Marriage Material Lip Duo, a product inspired by TikTok beauty icon Mikayla Nogueira. Tied to her wedding, the launch was a massive success, selling out in 18 minutes and becoming a touchstone moment for the brand. Fast-forward to 2024, and the stakes were even higher.

The anniversary restock needed to be more than just a repeat — it had to be bigger, bolder, and entirely social-first. e.l.f. set an ambitious goal: sell 10 times the units of the previous launch, without the anchor of a life event or a lavish photoshoot…

When Mikayla Nogueira speaks, her audience listens. Her authenticity and charm have made her a trusted voice in the beauty world. So, we asked ourselves: what if Mikayla didn’t just represent the lip kit — what if she led the brand?

Our team brainstormed bold concepts to make the restock unforgettable. Among them, one idea rose to the top: appoint Mikayla as “CEO for a Day.” It was an idea that captured her connection to the e.l.f. community while amplifying the excitement around the product’s return.

With buy-in from e.l.f.’s CEO and CMO, and Mikayla herself, e.l.f.’s CEO, and CMO, the campaign was born. From scripting to supporting the brand’s go-to-market strategy and coordinating seamlessly with e.l.f.’s internal teams and agency partners, Viral Nation’s team delivered to make this launch an undeniable success.

The campaign’s centerpiece was Mikayla’s transformation into e.l.f.’s “CEO for a Day,” featuring a humorous reenactment of a phone call with e.l.f.’s CEO, where she passionately advocated for the lip duo’s return. “Have you not been reading the comments? The community is begging for this to come back!” she exclaimed. Within hours of Mikayla’s announcement, the lip kits began flying off the shelves. Mikayla’s follow-up posts expressed heartfelt gratitude for the community’s role in making the restock a reality.

Her additional content amplified the excitement. One video showcased her applying the lip kit step-by-step, while an Instagram carousel featured a playful “Letter from the CEO.” Earned media and on-trend elements — a lip-sync riff leveraging viral sound and videos set to Charli XCX’s “brat summer” tracks — added to the campaign’s unstoppable momentum.

The “CEO for a Day” campaign tapped into the heart of e.l.f.’s community, proving that when you empower voices like Mikayla’s, the results are groundbreaking. In the end, the campaign didn’t just win the internet for a day — it redefined what a social-first product launch can achieve.