For e.l.f., American Eagle and Swatch, Controversy Is All the Rage

Are brands deliberately baiting viewers to drive engagement?

Every week, another brand inspires outrage. The latest: e.l.f. Cosmetics and their campaign with Matt Rife.

The surprising thing here is that e.l.f usually gets it right. They built a reputation on cultural fluency: calling out gender disparity with “Soooo Many Dicks,” sending products to that guy who sailed from Oregon to Hawaii with his cat. Up until now, they’ve been in on the joke, along with their many fans worldwide.

This time, however, their casting was catnip for internet debate—and it cast the e.l.f. in a mostly unflattering light.

This isn’t a critique of Rife himself. He’s one comic in a broader shift back towards pre-PC humor; one of many who believe that antagonism is at the heart of comedy. For his fans, that’s his appeal. For a brand built on inclusivity, it fell flat.

A brand this big has endless options for talent more aligned with its audience. Soooo many folks would be better suited. But they cast Rife, whose material has touched on issues of domestic abuse. And the backlash was immediate. Competitors and creators stitched the campaign, resurfacing clips and reframing the marketing as evidence of a brand out of touch. e.l.f. was forced to concede “We missed the mark.”

This isn’t the first time we’ve watched this happen. It’s not even the first this month. We’ve all seen that American Eagle campaign, then the Dunkin’ ad a few days later. Then Swatch fell flat in China. Each exposes a brand’s lack of cultural literacy. They catch fire in an algorithm fueled by hot takes, where audiences act as watchdogs. But can they stand the heat?

Here’s the provocation: Rage bait is becoming a campaign tactic. We’ll see it on the awards circuit next year—brands will launch commercials, OOH and press efforts specifically to create controversy. Hit a nerve and let the internet amplify it, seemingly to no end. They’ll rely on hot takes, stitches, memes and think pieces to guarantee reach far beyond media spending.

e.l.f. flirted with this some months back, with “Many Trick Pony.” That effort was quickly followed by “reaction videos” featuring pigeons and ponies “offended” by the copy. They even issued an apology. It was cute, but fell flat. Because no one was actually offended. It felt a tad too calculated. A bad read of the room.

Real controversy drives conversation. We’ve seen versions of this in advertising for ages; we know there’s more to come. But engagement isn’t equity. And not all brands can weather the long-term fallout.

The lesson isn’t “don’t risk it.” It’s about knowing your audience and taking smart risks.

Do the research. Choose the talent, tone and tactics that reflect the values you’ve built. Then be bold but don’t imperil your image to chase clicks.

Controversy can buy you attention. But it’s no shortcut to relevance.