E.l.f. says corporate America has ‘So Many Dicks’ and not enough diversity

Dive Brief:

E.l.f. Beauty is calling for more diversity in U.S. corporate boardrooms in a new campaign called “So Many Dicks,” according to a press release. The effort will primarily be seen on digital screens at transportation hubs around Wall Street.
The campaign takes its name from a finding that there are 566 men named Richard, Rick or Dick on the boards of directors of U.S. based companies listed on the New York Stock Exchange and NASDAQ, compared to only 806 Black women, 774 Asian women and 283 Hispanic women amid nearly 37,000 board members.
E.l.f. worked with purpose-driven agency Oberland on the effort, which is part of its larger “Change The Board Game” initiative around corporate diversity. The campaign demonstrates how certain brands are leaning into diversity, equity and inclusion amid a wider pullback in corporate America.

Dive Insight:

E.l.f. Beauty is continuing its push to double the rate that women and diverse members are added to corporate boards by 2027 with an edgy, eye-catching new campaign. “So Many Dicks” utilizes out-of-home ads around the Financial District, including Fulton Street Station and The Oculus, that will run through June 10. The creative calls out the preponderance of “Dicks” – Richards, Ricks and Dicks — compared to a relative paucity of women and members of diverse groups. For example, there are 19-times more men named Dick than the 29 women of Middle Eastern descent on corporate boards, and only three Native American women.

Those corporate boards compare unfavorably to that of E.l.f., which is one of only four U.S. publicly traded companies with a board that's two-thirds women and one-third diverse. The campaign ties that statistic to the company's 20 consecutive quarters of net-sales growth, making it one of five CPG companies in the U.S. with that record.

“One of the most important things a diverse board does is bring in multiple viewpoints to make better decisions. At e.l.f. Beauty, empathy is part of our business model because it brings us closer to our community and the things people in the community care about,” said E.l.f. Beauty chairman and CEO Tarang Amin, who was born in Kenya and has Indian ancestry, in a statement. “A diverse board also helps us stay culturally relevant among multiple affinities. It’s the unique combination and diverse school of thought that helps us lead innovation and brand demand in the industry.”

E.l.f. saw sales grow 85% during the holiday quarter, blowing past Wall Street estimates. The brand has remained a favorite of Gen Z by advertising high-quality products at low prices, and has been an early adopter of emerging channels like TikTok, Roblox and the Apple Vision Pro.

Along with the out-of-home creative, the new campaign will run on the brand's social channels and was created with purpose-driven agency Oberland, which hopes the campaign will demonstrate the “ROI of DEI,” CEO Drew Train said in a statement. The effort comes as brands pull back on diversity, equity and inclusion efforts amid legal and political pressure that has resulted in notable backlashes.

“So Many Dicks” is part of a wider “Change the Board Game” initiative that E.l.f. launched earlier this month alongside tennis legend and equity advocate Billie Jean King. The “Serving Facts” campaign highlighted the brand's partnership with the National Association of Corporate Boards to create a board accelerator program intended to train and create visibility for 20 women and/or diverse board-ready candidates.