E.l.f. Cosmetics Launches Shoppable Livestream Ads on Twitch
E.l.f. Cosmetics is breaking new ground by becoming the first brand to trial Twitch’s innovative livestream shopping ad format. This cutting-edge integration, powered by Amazon Ads and its robust retail media data, aims to deliver more measurable business results for the beauty brand. The initiative is designed to merge creator-driven content with real-time product discovery and purchasing, seamlessly within the Twitch viewing experience.
The new feature is being tested on E.l.f.’s official Twitch channel, E.l.f.YOU!, where users can now shop for cosmetics during livestreams without leaving the platform. This approach reflects a growing push in the digital marketing world to shorten the traditional marketing funnel and convert viewer engagement into immediate sales.
Blending Entertainment with E-commerce
Social commerce has seen rapid growth globally, but adoption in the U.S. has lagged. Platforms like Twitch are now investing in features to close that gap. For E.l.f., Twitch represents a valuable space for connecting with younger audiences, gaming communities, and beauty enthusiasts.
The test run comes just ahead of TwitchCon San Diego 2025, where E.l.f. executives are expected to share more insights about the collaboration and its potential to transform livestream advertising. The timing also aligns with the lead-up to the lucrative holiday shopping season, providing a perfect opportunity to measure the campaign’s impact on sales performance.
Amazon Ads Powers the Integration
Amazon Ads plays a critical role in the integration, offering E.l.f. access to its extensive retail media data. This allows the brand to better target audiences and assess campaign effectiveness. According to Sarah Iooss, head of U.S. agency at Amazon Ads, “Twitch is where communities and creators connect through authentic, live engagement — and now, through shoppable moments. We’re thrilled to partner with E.l.f. to test this innovative new format that keeps viewers immersed in the content they love while discovering and purchasing products in real time.”
The new feature is expected to boost the performance of E.l.f.’s creator content, delivering tangible business outcomes without disrupting the viewer experience. This strategy aligns with the brand’s broader mission to embrace emerging technologies and platforms to stay ahead of consumer trends.
A Growing Presence on Twitch
E.l.f. first joined Twitch in 2020, recognizing the platform’s potential to engage with niche communities and elevate underrepresented voices, particularly female creators. Since its launch, the E.l.f.YOU! channel has attracted nearly 24,000 followers and logged over 43.3 million cumulative minutes watched.
This new ad format builds on Amazon’s ongoing efforts to merge livestreaming with e-commerce. While previous attempts have met with mixed success, the company continues to refine its approach in hopes of capturing market share in the competitive social commerce space.
Challenges and Industry Context
Despite Amazon’s vast resources and reach, livestream-enabled commerce has yet to gain significant traction in the U.S. Many platforms, including TikTok, are investing heavily to change that. TikTok, for example, has recently seen success with TikTok Shop, its own integrated e-commerce feature that allows users to purchase products within the app.
Although Amazon does not disclose Twitch’s advertising revenue, reports from streamers suggest that earnings have declined in recent years, and the platform has struggled to become profitable. E.l.f.’s experiment could serve as a model for how brands and platforms can collaborate to create more engaging and effective advertising solutions.
Looking Ahead
As livestream shopping continues to evolve, E.l.f.’s partnership with Twitch and Amazon Ads could signal a turning point for the U.S. market. By offering a non-disruptive, immersive shopping experience, the brand is betting on the growing convergence of entertainment and commerce to drive future growth.
Whether this strategy pays off will depend on consumer response and the brand’s ability to scale the model across other platforms and campaigns. For now, E.l.f.’s bold move positions it as a pioneer at the intersection of beauty, technology, and digital media.
This article is inspired by content from Original Source. It has been rephrased for originality. Images are credited to the original source.