What do you get when you mix Gen Z, bad gift trauma, and ULTA Beauty? A viral holiday campaign that turned hint-dropping into an art form. For the 2023 season, we launched #ULTABeautyHintBook, a cheeky social-first campaign empowering giftees to send a hint (or several) to avoid becoming victims of socks and Cubs hats.

From filters that exposed bad gifters, to sneaky wishlist drops in coffee orders, phone autocorrects, and even email signatures—we gave Gen Z all the tools to secure the glow-up gifts they actually wanted. With a little help from influencers, personalized DMs, and one very sassy Ulta IG account, gifting got real (and really effective).

Because the best gifts don’t come from Santa—they come from giving a little hint!