Free tanning for life in exchange for getting a tattoo of a salon’s logo? That’s the deal Electrik Beach offered, and 17 people – including an MTV celebrity – took advantage of it.
Nikkole Paulun, who appeared on an episode of MTV’s “16 & Pregnant,” proudly wears Electrik Beach’s logo tattooed upon her upper thigh. She was one of 17 people who got the Michigan-based salon chain’s logo inked upon their bodies at the salon’s Tats & Tans event, held May 3. The unique promotion was the brainchild of the chain’s co-owners Dennis Asmar and his daughter, Adrienne Aaron. “Initially, he was going to give a year of tanning to anyone who got a tattoo of our logo,” Adrienne explained, “but I believed that since tattoos last a lifetime, we should reward anyone who makes that commitment with lifetime tanning.”
Contracting with a well-known local tattoo artist, Adrienne and Dennis obtained the proper licensing to administer tattoos at their salon. They also quickly arranged their promotional event in anticipation of receiving many people at their salon eager to win tickets to a Luke Bryan concert, an Eminem/Rhianna concert and a Detroit Tigers baseball game. Adrienne was correct in assuming the event would be popular, saying, “Two hours before we opened our doors, there were hundreds of people waiting on the sidewalk!”
While it was amazing to have 17 people – including one celebrity – get an Electrik Beach logo tat, Adrienne says offering free tanning for life also helped boost upgrade sales at Electrik Beach. The key, she said, was offering some amazing deals, further explaining, “Everyone who got the tattoo was able to purchase a month of high-pressure sessions for $60, (a $100 savings), a month of level-four tans for $40 (an $80 savings) and a month of level-three tanning for $20 (a $40 savings). At least 12 of the people who got tattooed have already purchased an upgrade package!”
So what does Nikkole Paulun think about her decision to get the Electrik Beach logo permanently displayed on her body? Three days after the event, she posted a picture of her new ink on Twitter, saying, “Free tattoo got me free tanning for life. No shame.” ■
