SNL‘s Ego Nwodim continues to expand her profile, now adding beauty influencer to her repertoire with a new ad campaign for Ulta Beauty.
In a collab with the brand shared on social media, the Saturday Night Live star advertises their products in a post offering to help you “decide what to get your favorite rich auntie for the holidays”—a play on Nwodim’s own “Weekend Update” Rich Auntie with No Kids character.
Nwodim promotes the Ulta Beauty Holiday Hotline as its “hotline hostess,” offering interested viewers a chance to get an assist in finding the perfect gift.
The clip is notably labeled Episode 1, ending with text telling viewers “don’t hang up” as there’s more to come—so stay tuned for future episodes. With this one titled “Fancy Fam,” Nwodim answers a pink telephone as she rocks her own hot pink suit. She introduces herself and explains she’s at Ulta’s Holiday Hotline HQ with a team of gift experts to help callers find that ideal present.
Confirming her caller’s problem, Nwodim asks, “You need a present for your fanciest auntie, and you have no idea what to get?” She offers a number of Ulta Beauty products as options, which you can see in the clip above.
Ulta Beauty replied in a comment on the Instagram post, “Fancy auntie gift secured ✅.” A number of actual beauty influencers also weighed in down in the comments, along with plenty of fans cheering on Nwodim.
Nwodim is serving as the lead host with a team that also includes actress Justine Lupe, best known for her role as Willa in Succession and recently playing Kristen Bell’s character’s sister in hit Netflix romcom Nobody Wants This. They’re joined by scent expert Paul Fino, YouTuber Nicol Concilio and influencer Odette Paulino as guides for the Holiday Hotline campaign.
In September, Nwodim launched her podcast Thanks Dad, joining fellow cast member Bowen Yang‘s Las Culturistas in regularly creating content outside SNL itself. She’s also the latest cast member to join the brand partnership world, following endorsements by Sarah Sherman of Crocs, Please Don’t Destroy with Dunkin’ Donuts, and Chloe Fineman with Ninja coffee makers.
The Ulta Beauty brand sought in the past few years to expand its reach, increasing the number of Black-owned beauty brands it sells in the wake of 2020’s increased cultural awareness following the death of George Floyd and subsequent Black Lives Matter protests. It brought on actress Tracee Ellis Ross in 2021 as a diversity and inclusion adviser and increased its advertising to communities of color. This latest campaign features a diverse group of brand ambassadors, clearly intended to target a variety of demographic groups.
