Get in, loser, e.l.f. Cosmetics is merging beauty into a new lane. Rather than launching another product, the company has announced “Grip, Set, Go,” partnering with RED Driver Training to give away thousands of driving lessons to UK learners. The campaign takes its name from two e.l.f. products, Power Grip Primer and Power Grip Setting Spray, and is built around the idea that makeup does not quit, a value that e.l.f’s campaign is now applying to UK learner drivers.
The initiative aims to combat the rising cost of driving lessons in the UK, averaging up to £3,000 ($4,000), with many learners requiring 26-30 hours of instruction to pass. According to RED Driver Training, 60% of young people in the UK have abandoned lessons altogether because of rising costs, depriving them of a crucial skill that unlocks one in six jobs in the UK.
“Grip, Set, Go” offers people the opportunity to enter the sweepstakes, which is open between July 9-31, for the chance to win a block of 10 hours of free driving lessons with RED Driver Training. Beyond these vouchers, e.l.f. plans to share RED’s expert-led instructions and guidance via its social channels and, on July 30th, offer an in-person consumer activation at Protein Studios in London, where attendees can enter to win additional driving lesson vouchers. e.l.f. will also have a fleet of 15 branded learner cars deployed in cities where test center waitlists are long.
“e.l.f. have always been in the business of serving the underserved,” said Yana Yarmova, General Manager, EMEA, of e.l.f. Brands, in a press release. This initiative, in addition to the brand in general, aims to “do something bold” while simultaneously serving its customers and community positively. This is precisely the goal of the “Grip, Set, Go” campaign, Yarmova says, as it presents e.l.f. as “bold disruptors with a kind heart,” and demonstrates the company’s aim to create meaningful experiences in unexpected but necessary ways.
The campaign aims to reinforce e.l.f.’s brand positioning around accessibility, confidence, and empowerment by helping to remove financial barriers to learning a lifelong skill. This initiative underscores a broader evolution in the beauty industry, demonstrating how brands are moving beyond products to invest in programs that address real-world challenges their target consumers face.
As competition intensifies in the beauty market, actions that address real consumer challenges can strengthen brand loyalty and provide empowerment that goes beyond a marketing message. By offering thousands of free driving lessons, e.l.f.’s “Grip, Set, Go” campaign has the potential to extend the brand’s mission beyond beauty, creating tangible opportunities that can increase independence, expand career possibilities, and empower consumers behind the wheel and beyond.
