No surprise that a feature film titled “Spa
Weekend” would have an “official relaxation partner.”
That designee is spa franchise chain Hand & Stone Massage and Facial Spa, which has used the timing of the
comedy’s premiere this past weekend to also intro its new mantra: “Just Relax.”
Hand & Stone’spositioning was previously “built around the idea of
’affordable luxury,’ and it worked,” Chief Revenue Officer Sherrill Kaplan tells Marketing Daily. But “the way consumers think about wellness has evolved,” she
explains. “It used to be viewed as an indulgence. Now it's understood as essential. ‘Just Relax’ is our response to that shift.
“It's about giving people guilt-free
space to slow down and recharge, without treating relaxation like something they have to earn.”
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“Spa Weekend” stars Leslie Mann, Isla Fisher, Michelle Buteau, and Anna
Faris. The movie was written and directed by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore, best-known for co-writing “The Hangover” before going on to both write and direct such other films as “21
& Over” and “Bad Moms.”
Three of the film’s stars also appear in a :30 spot
promoting the Hand & Stone collaboration that has run on linear TV and paid social.
After a clip from the film in which Buteau gets particularly excited over the prospect of a goat yoga
class, the spot says that Hand & Stone has “everything you need to relax, except the goat yoga.” It then promotes a “two-hour ‘Spa Weekend’ package guest
card.”
Through Oct. 1, that package offers a specially priced massage and facial.
Hand & Stone, founded in 2004, has more than 600 locations in 36 states and Canada.
Two months ago, Carrie Walsh joined the company as CEO, after having been interim CEO at Subway, where she had previously served as global CMO. During her
career, she has also held marketing positions at Pizza Hut, PepsiCo and Michaels.