On May 15, the second season of Hulu’s hit reality series “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” hit screens — all 10 episodes at once. But, several of the show’s stars — including Taylor Frankie Paul, Whitney Leavitt, Jen Affleck and Layla Taylor — have likely already popped up on your feed or local billboards fronting beauty campaigns.
The women who star on the show were famous before Hulu came calling. Before “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” brought them to the attention of the masses, the women were already viral sensations on #MomTok. They posted matching outfits and dance videos. But in 2022, Paul, arguably the group’s star, drew headlines for something surprisingly salacious — and made for reality TV: a “soft swinging scandal.” As it turned out, several of the Mormon couples were, in fact, hooking up with one another — unsurprisingly sparking fascination and backlash both online and in the national news. Perhaps you could say the moms of #MomTok came out on top, though. They were catapulted further into the spotlight, and now, many speak openly about being the breadwinners in their marriages, having earned lucrative brand deals, many with beauty brands.
“Our focus has been getting into the cultural zeitgeist and conversation, and really [having our] finger on the pulse of what are people watching, sharing and excited about,” said Meridith Rojas, CMO of MCo Beauty.
The Australian makeup brand leveraged Paul (5.5 million TikTok followers, 1.4 million Instagram followers), Affleck (2.1 million TikTok followers, 1 million Instagram followers) and Taylor (614,000 TikTok followers, 513,000 Instagram followers) for a campaign, which is still in progress, dubbed “This is not a dupe. It’s a dupé.” It was a 360-degree campaign, inclusive of a Times Square billboard, an event in Utah attended by the “Secret Lives” cast, an influencer and media mailer and even a registered national holiday: National Dupe Day, on April 4. When Hulu discovered that three of its stars would be participating in a big New York City photoshoot, it opted to film the moment for the show. On-set moments are depicted in episode 8 of Season 2. The show does not specify what the photoshoot is for, but the women mention that it will be featured on a Times Square billboard.
It’s no surprise brands want in on #MomTok — the name the group has given themselves. The show has broken records — its first season surpassed “The Kardashians” to become Hulu’s most-watched unscripted show.
“We’re definitely seeing the impact these creators can drive for beauty brands,” said Alexander Rawitz, director of research and insights for Creator IQ. “They’re proving to be some of the most potent, impactful creators that MCoBeauty, and also [hair-growth brand] Vegamour, have worked with year-to-date, even if they’ve posted about the brands less frequently than other creators from the beauty space.”
When MCo Beauty considered how to best launch in the U.S., it aimed to reach customers beyond just New York and Los Angeles.
“[We were looking for] talent we felt would resonate and have more mass appeal audiences,” Rojas said. She noted the fact that, in an era where young people watch less TV, “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” has resonated with audiences who can follow the stars from their phone screens to their TV screens, or wherever they stream from.
“People are really engaged in these [women’s] lives and in their story lines, and it’s a very unique opportunity for a brand to say, ‘OK, I want to fish where the fish are,’ and there are a lot of fish around these women,” Rojas said.
On National Dupe Day, also the launch date for the campaign, MCo surprised customers with a National Dupe Day sale, during which all of its products were $4.44 for 24 hours only. The brand saw a 10,000% sales increase on its DTC site in those 24 hours, compared to an average day. Though the stars of the campaign did not specifically promote the sale, they brought attention to the brand on that day with their paid campaign posts.
According to CreatorIQ, from January to April, Affleck drove over $502,000 in earned media value via 12 posts, and Paul drove over $272,000 in EMV via nine posts. Year-to-date, Affleck is MCo Beauty’s seventh top EMV driver, and Paul ranks 15th. Affleck and Paul were MCoBeauty’s top two EMV drivers in April, with a respective $364,000 in EMV and $272,000 in EMV, both via nine posts. “They’re both gathering momentum,” Rawitz said.
Vegamour, known for its hair-growth-promoting serums, began working with Paul and Leavitt together at the beginning of the year. It has previously worked with Affleck, too.
“We are really focused on working with people who drive culture,” said Michelle Miller, the brand’s CMO. “#MomTok and female creators are doing that. From a Vegamour-specific perspective, one of our key [demographics] is a woman who is postpartum, and a lot of the [women on the show] have either just had a baby or are pregnant. [Vegamour] really fit within their lives and what they were already needing,” Miller said.
Vegamour worked with Leavitt (2.4 million TikTok followers; 566,000 Instagram followers) and Paul in a more traditional paid-post capacity. Leavitt’s video featured such high production quality, Miller was asked what agency she’d partnered with on the post, she said. “I was like, ‘Oh, that was just Whitney!'” she said, praising the reality star’s production skills. In a TikTok with over 28,000 likes, Leavitt stages a scene in which Vegamour halts an evil scientist to prevent hair fallout.
Since their posts have gone live, Miller said Vegamour has seen an an increase in its EMV and an uptick in search. “For their influence and reach, I feel like we got an amazing return on our investment,” she said.
“They’re crushing it — and it’s actually part of their story of being the breadwinners and shaping how people talk about beauty, self-care and mom life,” she added, regarding the brand deals the women are working on beyond just Vegamour.
Of her decision to work with Leavitt and Paul, specifically, Miller said, “I feel like [they] are the two most polarizing on the show. But I think it’s the things that are polarizing that break through the noise.”
According to CreatorIQ data, from January to April, Leavitt has driven over $307,000 in EMV via 13 posts to become the brand’s No. 5 EMV-driver, while Taylor Paul has driven over $126,000 in EMV via two posts to become the brand’s No. 14 EMV-driver.
The theme of being willing to lean into the controversy surrounding the show rang true for Tarte as well, which took yet another avenue to partnership, becoming the official beauty partner of the show. That included glamming up the cast for the premiere. It is the first time the nearly 26-year-old brand has partnered with Hulu, founder and CEO Maureen Kelly said. “This collab is about celebrating beauty and scandal. … I am all about celebrating both. You don’t have to be perfect, and that’s OK,” she said.
Kelly was a fan of the show before the opportunity to collaborate came about. “The show is a very empowering way for these women to show themselves to America. They share their relationships and their belief system. I’ve learned about Mormonism by watching the show. It’s a very interesting slice of American life. Typically, these women would not be on television. So I think it’s cool that they’re empowered to do this and demonstrate to other Mormon women that you can step out and do something like this. … I’m all about empowering women. So, I was very excited about that.”
Tarte products were sold on “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” microsite, plus a mailer went out to over 250 influencers and to members of Tarte’s community. The brand offered a 20% discount to viewers of the show., plus it sold two themed bundles, “Saints” and “Sinners.” It’s a nod to the women on the show who closely adhere to the principles of Mormonism and those who are less religious.
As a result, Kelly noted a 72% spike in new customer acquisition — a huge number at a time when “it’s hard to get new customers,” Kelly said. Tarte plans to follow up with these shoppers in a bid to bring them on as lifelong shoppers.
As far as why the show was a desirable partner for Tarte, in general, Kelly said, “The cast really embodies that bold, unfiltered energy our community loves. … There’s a lot of chaos, but they’re unapologetic. They’re beautiful. They’re empowering. [Many are] starting businesses, and they generally lift each other up; they’re supportive of each other.”
Collab of the week: Katie Sturino’s ‘Sunny Side Up’ x Kitty and Vibe
Katie Sturino’s first novel, “Sunny Side Up,” doesn’t release until June 26, but excited fans of the multi-talented creator and author can get a piece of the book’s world now, thanks to her new collab with inclusive swimsuit brand Kitty and Vibe.
“Writing ‘Sunny Side Up’ was about reclaiming joy, confidence and the magic of starting fresh. After writing about these fabulous swimsuits in the book, I wanted to bring them to life,” Sturino told Glossy. “I wanted each suit to feel like a love letter to the characters, their journeys and the people who will wear them. Kitty and Vibe has built a brand that actually sees and celebrates all bodies, which made them the ideal partner to help bring my fictional world into the real one.”
Kitty and Vibe founder and CEO Cameron Armstrong echoed Sturino’s enthusiasm about the match-up. “Katie’s voice as an author and advocate aligns with the heart of what Kitty and Vibe stands for: celebrating individuality and helping people unlock their inner confidence,” she said. “This collection is vibrant, character-driven and deeply intentional. It’s a true fusion of storytelling and partnership.”
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