Salon Chain Signs Washington Capitals Player – and Hair Cuttery client – to Endorsement Deal
March 19, 2008 // Franchising.com // Vienna, VA – Hair Cuttery, the largest privately-owned chain of hair salons in the country, announced today that it has signed NHL Washington Capitals' hockey star Alex Ovechkin to a 6-month partnership agreement.
Ovechkin proves that even if you're a multimillionaire, you can still appreciate a good haircut at a great price. After signing a 13 year, $124M contract – the richest in NHL history – the 22-year-old Washington Capitals' left wing is still a regular client at the Ballston Common Hair Cuttery in Arlington, Virginia. The salon is located in the mall underneath the Kettler Capitals Iceplex where the team practices and, since he never needs an appointment, Ovechkin stops in for a haircut whenever it is convenient for him.
The Washington Post picked up on the story: in the D.C. Sports Bog blog on January 17, 2008, reporter Dan Steinberg revealed that Ovechkin visited Hair Cuttery for regular haircuts and poked fun at how Ovechkin's new contract could buy him 8.857 million haircuts at the salon.
There has been buzz about Ovechkin endorsing Hair Cuttery in the blogosphere as the deal was being made behind the scenes: Ted Leonsis, owner of the Caps, commented in his January 31st blog entitled Hair Cuttery Rocks that Ovechkin would be a great spokesperson for the brand; and Dan Steinberg followed up in a March 5th post, commenting on how Hair Cuttery should use Ovechkin in its ads.
"When we learned that Alex is a regular Hair Cuttery client, we knew he would be perfect for our new advertising campaign," said Dennis Ratner, founder and CEO of Hair Cuttery. "Alex certainly has some extra change in his pocket these days, and at Hair Cuttery, all our clients can get a great style and keep a little extra for themselves." The new change your hair, and change in your pocket® campaign focuses on how clients can change their hair through cut, color, and styling services at Hair Cuttery, and still keep some extra change in their pocket.
Ratner went on to say, "Alex brings an authentic endorsement to the Hair Cuttery brand – he has been a loyal client, and now we are able to share this with the rest of the Washington, DC area. His commitment to family and wholesome, athletic image are also a great fit with our family salons."
Under the terms of the agreement, Ovechkin will appear in print and radio ads for Hair Cuttery in the Washington, DC market. Additionally, the hockey star has agreed to provide limited autographed items for Hair Cuttery clients, and may make personal appearances at salons in the region.
Ovechkin is a rising star in the National Hockey League. He was the first overall draft choice in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft and lead all rookies in goals, points, power-plays, and shots his first year in the League – in fact, his 425 shots led the League and set an NHL rookie record, and was the fourth highest in NHL history. This season, Ovechkin has scored a League-leading 57 goals and has led the Washington Capitals from the worst record in the league to second place in the Southeast Division, standing on the cusp of the playoffs.
Hair Cuttery is the largest family-owned chain of salons in the country, with 800 company-owned and franchised locations on the East Coast, and in New England and the Midwest. A full-service, value-priced salon, Hair Cuttery offers a full complement of cuts and styling, coloring, waxing and texturizing services with no appointment necessary, as well as a full line of professional hair care products. Hair Cuttery is a division of Ratner Companies, based in Vienna, Virginia.
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