Beauty and wellness campaigns used to be reserved for supermodels and spokespeople from across the music and film industries, but now brands are spotlighting a new kind of star: comedians.
While certainly not a brand new concept – e.l.f. Cosmetics spotlighted comedic actress Jennifer Coolidge in its 2023 Super Bowl advert, while Superbad actor Michael Cera teamed up with CeraVe in 2024 in a campaign that garnered 4.6m TikTok views on a single video and 32 billion earned impressions – 2026 has seen several funny men at the forefront of beauty campaigns.
Notable recent campaigns leaning into this comedic approach include Seth Rogan’s Sephora takeover for the retailer’s Christmas campaign, and Bowen Yang’s starring role in Estée Lauder’s ‘Guilty as Skin’ campaign.
Plus, Fel Beauty’s revival of classic film character Napoleon Dynamite with original actor Jon Heder.
“The beauty industry has always relied heavily on aspiration,” shares Melissa Alcruz, founder of strategic branding, marketing and creative consulting firm, Alcruz Entertainment.
“Beautiful people, beautiful packaging, beautiful promises.
“Most brands are selling some version of the same thing, so finding a point of differentiation is increasingly difficult, humour gives them another way in.”
But what is it that makes male comedians the perfect partner for beauty and wellness brands?
How comedians draw in a new type of beauty consumer
“Comics give beauty brands something that ultra-refined and unapproachable spokespeople really cannot: a relatable message and a reason to keep watching,” says Carolyn Delacorte, Marketing Consultant at boutique lifestyle PR and marketing agency Boxwood Co.
“To people who find the multitude of skin care products intimidating, a recognisable spokesperson can help ease anxiety.”
Michael Cera's 2024 CeraVe campaign saw the dermatological skin care brand put comedy at the centre
As well as providing a lighthearted way in for skin care sceptics, Alcruz believes this shift to be part of a “bigger business opportunity”
She says: “I shop at Sephora, and I have noticed more and more men in the stores.
“Fragrance has always been an entry point, and you
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