A Deep Dive into Who Is Elijah's "Find Your Selves" Campaign

As a lover of marketing strategy, I can tell you that one of the most important parts of marketing strategy is timing - timing your marketing "go live" and "end date"…

If you care about getting the most return on your efforts.

It's one of the reasons why in V3 of Magic Marketer, our sophisticated Cycle-Synced Smart Calendar had to be included in the new features - because marketing strategy isn't really doing it's job if you're not factoring in your business cash cycle.

That's why it was my greatest pleasure to watch the team behind Who Is Elijah demonstrate they understand this better than most.

Ahead of the high-stakes shopping season, they launched their very first brand awareness campaign, "Find Your Selves", led by creative powerhouse Raquel Bouris and the team behind the iconic perfume brand.

The move is a textbook example of how to strategically prime an audience before a major conversion event like Black Friday - and why marketers everywhere should pay attention.

Why Brand Awareness Before Conversion Matters

Most brands focus on conversions first, thinking that sales are the ultimate goal. Which, as a marketer in the D2C space for the last ten years, it absolutely is.

But… to grow sales, you also have to hit the right numbers in other areas of the business:

• Brand awareness: reach, views, impressions, engagement, social growth
• Lead generation: email sign ups
• Strategic sequencing: the order you do that in is fairly important

Senior marketers will know that in the lead up to heavy conversion sales period, you need to spend months (literally) building both of these silos up so that they're bountiful and resources that can be drawn down on when it's time to make money.

By investing in awareness first with their very first brand awareness campaign, Who Is Elijah created a fertile ground for engagement, loyalty, and ultimately, conversions.

Here's the logic:

1. Top-of-Mind Presence

Before shoppers are bombarded with Black Friday deals, Who Is Elijah positioned themselves in the consciousness of their target audience. When it came time to convert, their brand was already familiar.

2. Emotional Connection

Brand awareness campaigns aren't just about recognition—they're about narrative. Find Your Selves isn't a hard-sell; it's an invitation for the audience to see themselves in the brand's story.

3. Data-Driven Insights

Awareness campaigns allow brands to collect valuable behavioral data. Who Is Elijah could test messaging, creative, and channels before the high-pressure conversion period, refining their approach with actual insights.

The "Find Your Selves" Campaign: Concept and Execution

Creative Vision Led by Raquel Bouris

Raquel Bouris's leadership brought a human, narrative-driven touch to the campaign. Instead of leading with product features, the campaign focused on self-discovery and identity, positioning Who Is Elijah as more than a brand - it became a cultural touchpoint.

Key creative elements included:

• Authentic Storytelling: Highlighting real experiences and personal journeys.
• Inclusive Imagery: Representing a diverse audience to ensure relatability.
• Interactive Touchpoints: Social activations and content that encouraged users to engage, share, and reflect.

Multi-Channel Strategy

Who Is Elijah didn't limit the campaign to a single platform. Instead, they created a layered, multi-channel approach:

• Social Media: Instagram, Threads, and TikTok were leveraged to spark conversation and engagement. Micro-videos and story-driven posts encouraged shares and participation.
• Email Marketing: Pre-Black Friday newsletters focused on education and inspiration rather than discounting, warming up the subscriber list.
• Partnerships & Influencers: Raquel Bouris collaborated with key voices in the lifestyle and fashion space, ensuring the campaign reached beyond existing followers.

This layered approach ensured consistent brand presence across multiple touchpoints, reinforcing awareness before conversion-focused messaging hit inboxes and feeds.

Lessons for Marketers: Timing as a Tactical Advantage

The genius of launching Find Your Selves ahead of Black Friday is in strategic anticipation. By the time other brands were shouting deals, Who Is Elijah had already created a relationship with their audience.

This not only improved the performance of their Black Friday offers but also increased long-term engagement metrics such as social follows, email open rates, and website traffic.

1. Start with Awareness: Don't wait for the conversion push. Lay the foundation with storytelling and engagement.
2. Leverage Thoughtful Timing: Pre-event campaigns can significantly improve ROI when the main sales period arrives.
3. Invest in Data Early: Awareness campaigns double as research opportunities—understand what resonates before the high-stakes moments.
4. Prioritize Authenticity Over Hard Sell: Audiences are more receptive to brands that speak to identity, values, and experience, not just discounts.

Results & Industry Buzz

While Who Is Elijah hasn't publicly shared full performance metrics, early indicators are promising:

• Increased social engagement during the pre-Black Friday window
• Heightened brand mentions and shares on platforms like Instagram and Threads
• Positive sentiment around Raquel Bouris's leadership and the creative vision

These results suggest a well-executed awareness campaign can meaningfully enhance conversion campaigns, proving the power of strategic sequencing.

The Magic Marketer Take?

Honestly, after 6 or so years of knowing about the brand and the founders, I still hadn't bought Who Is Elijah perfume…

Until this campaign.

And there was one specific word that got me over the line during the 'Find Your Selves' campaign.

"Multiplicity"

One word explained how I so often feel about my own identity, and when I saw it in their marketing, alongside the creative representing that word, I felt 100% aligned with the brand.

And that's the power of brand awareness marketing campaigns.

Because as soon as that Black Friday sale rolled in a week or two later, I purchased. I've loved every scent. I had my husband take photos of me spritizing so I could share on socials.

6 years of knowing about, one brand awareness campaign that made me think "that's me" and a conversion campaign straight after lead me to become a customer. Finally.

If I were involved in Who Is Elijah's marketing, my recommendation would be to run this campaign every October of every year, but with new and elevated creative and start stacking that momentum so people find new ways to imagine finding themselves as a result of using the perfumes.

It could become a catch-card, a rally cry, something that the "Who Is Elijah woman" looks forward to seeing and engaging with.

The message landed, the creative style landed, the concept resonated - so why reinvent the wheel?

Instead, Rinse, Refactor, Repeat - a core concept at Magic Marketer.

The Art of Pre-Conversion Awareness

Who Is Elijah's Find Your Selves campaign is a masterclass in marketing strategy: it demonstrates that brand awareness isn't just fluff—it's a critical precursor to sales success. By prioritising narrative, timing, and multi-channel engagement, they've set the stage for a highly successful Black Friday conversion campaign.

I hope we get to see the founders, Racquel Bouris and Adam Bouris, on podcasts in the new year to discuss the strategy and success.

For marketers following along at-home, the takeaway is clear:

Don't wait for peak shopping days to get noticed. Build the conversation early, connect authentically, and guide your audience toward conversion with foresight and strategy.