Why e.l.f. partnered with blind teen Paralympic swimmer Anastasia Pagonis for new campaign

E.l.f. is kicking off a series of video profiles of heroic figures by featuring a young woman who’s been blind since she was 14.

As Chief Brand Officer Laurie Lam sees it, record-holding Paralympic swimmer Anastasia Pagonis was the perfect choice as the first person profiled in the “Show Your(s)e.l.f.” series of purpose-inspired stories of resilience and perseverance. The video from purpose-focused agency Oberland goes live today on YouTube, with likely organic and paid support on other social media.

Makeup, as Pagonis has shown to her 2.4 million TikTok followers, is an important part of her confidence, besides having broken a world record in swimming to win the United States’ first Paralympic gold medal in the sport in 2020.  

She’s also become a voice helping explain to the world what it’s like to be blind after losing her vision due to a combination of genetic and autoimmune conditions as a young teen. She does it with a mix of cheerfulness, disarming honestly and dark humor, fielding questions without judgment. Well, except for the woman who kept insisting on petting her service dog Radar even after she explained why that should never happen.

With 14 million followers of its own across its social accounts and a recent Super Bowl ad that aired in much of the country, e.l.f. didn’t really need to chase Pagonis for reach. But she was just the sort of person e.l.f. wanted to inaugurate its series of biographical vignettes, which aim to align the brand with people who share its encouragement of self-expression, otherwise known as standing for “every eye lip and face.”

“We love to create an orbit with like-minded disruptors,” Lam said. “Tas is definitely a like-minded disruptor. I don’t think there was a single person in our organization that was not touched by Tas’ story and how she, in the face of adversity, rises above all that.”

It didn’t hurt that Pagonis already has created videos showing how and why she wears makeup, including the accommodations she’s developed with help from her mother to ensure she puts on the right products the right way. Some of those products have been from e.l.f., and some from other brands, including L’Oreal USA’s Lancome and Estee Lauder Co.’s MAC. But while Pagonis has done paid work for Sephora and Microsoft, among others, and has her own Amazon page where she sells other favored products, this is her first paid work with a cosmetics brand.

Pagonis previously knew e.l.f. Chief Marketing Officer Kory Marchisotto, whose nephew painted the goggles Pagonis competes in. But beyond that, Pagonis said in an interview that she’s a big fan of the brand’s values—and value.

“I feel like everything that e.l.f. stands for, I also stand for,” Pagonis said. For example, its cruelty-free certifications.

“Radar is an important part of my life,” Pagonis said. “We’re partners in crime. We literally do everything together, and so being cruelty-free is something that’s so important to me.”

Pagonis said she also respects the diversity across e.l.f.’s marketing, herself included. “People with disabilities should be able to do makeup, because anyone can. It’s not just about the way that makeup looks. It’s the way it makes you feel.”

Pagonis has been an e.l.f. customer for a long time, she said, in part because “everyone has access to e.l.f.” given its value. “They’re famous on TikTok. They’re famous everywhere, and they’re so important, so I’ve been using them since I was young.”

Also read: E.l.f. and American Eagle lean into TikTok

Pagonis will be working with e.l.f. to make its products more accessible for people with visual disabilities, though details are still in the works. The brand also is donating $75,000 to one of Pagonis’ favorite causes, “The Hidden Opponent,” a non-profit that raises awareness for student-athlete mental health as part of plans to donate 2% of prior-year profits to drive positive community impact.

But another motivation for Pagnonis is just the opportunity to dispel stereotypes about blind people on a larger stage, she said.

“People get very confused about the concept of how Hollywood makes people perceive disabilities, with blindness,” she said. “I’m trying to break those stereotypes by showing people I can apply makeup myself.”