E.l.f., Wendy's and Gap Bet on Original Music to Build Brands

E.l.f. Beauty dropped a full-length album called "Mirror Mix" this week, signaling a growing shift among major consumer brands that are turning to original music as a core marketing tool rather than a peripheral gimmick. The move coincides with E.l.f.'s plans to ramp up overall marketing spending through the remainder of the year, underscoring how seriously the cosmetics company is treating the initiative.

E.l.f. is far from alone. Brands including Wendy's and Gap have also ventured into original music territory, each looking for ways to forge deeper emotional connections with consumers in an era when traditional advertising is increasingly ignored or skipped entirely. Original music offers a vehicle that fans can stream, share, and engage with on platforms where brands previously had limited organic reach.

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The strategy reflects a broader rethinking of what a brand can be in the digital age. Rather than simply sponsoring existing artists or licensing familiar tracks, these companies are investing in wholly owned creative content — giving them full control over messaging, tone, and distribution. For E.l.f., a brand that has built its identity on cultural relevance and Gen Z appeal, an album feels like a natural extension of that playbook.

Marketing analysts have noted that owned-content strategies like this can generate earned media and social conversation far exceeding the reach of a conventional ad buy, though their long-term return on investment remains difficult to measure. Whether original music translates into actual sales lift will be the critical test for whether this tactic becomes a durable trend or a short-lived experiment among trend-chasing marketers.

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