On March 24th, The Knockturnal got an exclusive look into Merrell’s newest “spa” pop-up. The 15-30 minute increment experience took place March 24-27, 2022 in Melrose.
The Pop-Up which looked like a traditional “spa” from the outside was not at all what you would have imagined. When we walked into the lobby we were greeted by the staff who offered us some water and snacks and explained some of the wellness treatments they offered. Some of these treatments included Sound Bath, Aromatherapy, Foot Exfoliation, Oxygen Bar, and Full Body Circulation. When we were talking to the staff about what wellness treatments are like today, we were told we would get to experience each of these treatments. Once we finished the “stress survey” and got our heart rate bracelets which would monitor our heart rate levels inside the “spa” we were able to enter. From the outside you could hear the sound of a rainforest, so immediately we were intrigued about what we were about to see. One we entered we were immediately thrown off by the outdoor nature themed room in front of us. The catch was that once you enter the “spa” – instead of a traditional spa you are immediately immersed in a full outdoor self-care experience.
The idea is for consumers to experience that “aha moment” where they realize that the outdoors provides all these wonderful benefits (improve mood, reduce stress, improve sleep, etc.) and can be the ultimate free self-care vs. having to spend hundreds on other self-care treatment.
We were told we could start at any station we wanted so we began with the “Sound Bath”. Here we were guided through a sound meditation and then talked with the staff about how all of these nature sounds are actually more healing and beneficial in comparison to your typical sound bath at a normal wellness center. After we headed over to the Aromatherapy station. Here there was a display filled with tons of fresh flora and fauna that we were able to smell and touch. We talked about the different benefits that come with specific types of flowers and how even touching the flowers can help decrease your levels of stress. We then walked along the stone path to the Foot Exfoliation station complete with a waterfall. Instead of a Foot Exfoliation, there was an area with a zen garden/sand where we were invited to take off our shoes and be grounded by nature. After rubbing off the sand, we walked over to the Full Body Circulation station. Here we discussed the different benefits of walking and how someone could easily incorporate more of it into their daily lives. Finally we took a seat on the moss bench where we were invited to close our eyes and lie down while we were lead through a deep breathing exercise. Our visit to Merrell’s “spa” concluded with a walk to the back to collect some bags with tons of helpful things like hiking maps and a mask to help us in our new lifestyle endeavors. Before leaving we checked in with the front desk again to drop off our heart monitor bracelets and were told our heart rate had dropped just from being inside the “spa”.
This “spa” experience is part of Merrell’s larger “More Less” campaign that launched earlier this month that calls out the gimmicky, unrealistic and expensive world that the wellness market has become. A recent McKinsey survey revealed consumers are spending upwards of $1.5T a year on health and wellness services, and that number is expected to grow 5-10% annually. Through this campaign, Merrell aims to ignite a movement to redefine how women approach self-care.
Check out our Tik Tok for a behind the scenes look at the event and let us know what you think!
Photo credits: Michael Diaz