• by Sarah Mahoney  @mahoney_sarah, May 22, 2024

With the Indianapolis 500 just days away, E.L.F. Cosmetics announced that it’s bringing an immersive activation to the event. The company, which had previously announced an expanded partnership with Katerine Legge, is setting up a "Lip Oil Change” experience on the grounds of Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The event honors Legge, as well as the nine women who have driven in the race’s 108-year history. E.L.F. is the first beauty brand to serve as a primary sponsor of a driver, and the company’s name appears on Legge’s car, helmet and fire suit.

Fans can interact with a pit crew of "glow-up" artists, a DJ, and limited-edition merchandise. That includes E.L.F.-inspired bumper stickers and its Glow Reviver Lip Oils.

The Oakland, California-based company, which cooked up the effort with Day One Agency, says the event will also include the first-ever Indy 500 Drone Show. It plans to send 500 drones skyward to celebrate Legge as “a beacon of inclusion, empowerment and authenticity.”

Fans watching at home can join the activation through the company’s “E.L.F. UP!” Roblox experience. It will also livestream the event through its @elfyeah Twitch channel.

An interactive racing SnapChat AR lens themed to the event will also be available.

And 500 lucky loyalty club members can win a year’s supply of lip oils.

E.L.F. first partnered with Legge for last year’s race and announced an expanded 2024 sponsorship deal in April. This marks Legge’s fourth Indy 500 start, and she’ll be driving the No. 51 E.L.F. Honda Dallara for Dale Coyne Racing with RWR.

The company says the partnership fits neatly into its commitment to inclusivity. “We want to see more women in the driver’s seat – whether in the boardroom, on the court, in the stands or on the racetrack,” says Kory Marchisotto, chief marketing officer for E.L.F. Beauty, in the company’s announcement.

“We believe inclusivity gives communities who are so passionate about something like racing a win-win outcome because it brings more people into the tent as fans, talent and sponsors.”

The British Legge is known for one of the most diverse careers in motorsports, including her win of Champ Car’s Toyota Atlantic Series season opener on the Streets of Long Beach in 2005, making her the first woman to win a major open-wheel race in North America.