In a bid to rethink how brands engage with algorithm‑driven social media audiences, E.l.f. Beauty has launched “The Sound of Kindness,” a campaign that uses audio‑first content to interrupt doom‑scrolling and promote emotional wellness.
The effort, timed around World Kindness Day (Nov. 13), includes audiovisual stories from E.l.f. and its portfolio brands, in partnership with Beekman 1802 and the nonprofit Kindness.org, designed to provide a calming counter‑point to typical feed patterns.
The key to the initiative is leveraging sound and sensory experience as an alternate route to engagement.
For example, E.l.f.’s ASMR‑style content transforms product sounds into natural ambience like flowing water, while Rhode, its skin‑care brand, features visuals of a bubble bath synced with calming audio. This content is shared across TikTok and other social platforms.
Beyond social video, the campaign includes immersive experiences such as a Roblox “Kind Farm” environment featuring Beekman goats and a livestream on Twitch where sound therapists and scientists discussed the emotional impact of audio.
The broader objective is to stand out in an oversaturated content environment by creating moments that feel meaningful, emotional and, importantly, algorithm‑friendly without being gimmicky.
For the omnichannel retail and marketing sector, this move shows how brands are shifting from purely visual content to multisensory storytelling and purpose‑driven activations. It underlines the increasing role of emotional‑wellness and community‑oriented messaging in retail marketing strategy.
