The salon “dramatically underestimated the response” to the HBO's offer to pay for fans' hair appointments.
Image by Mark Seliver/MCT
HBO is having a bad hair day — the network teamed up with Dry Bar to promote their new lineup, but the overwhelming response crashed the salon’s booking system.
In a stroke of synergistic marketing brilliance, HBO offered to pick up the check for every fan’s blowout at any of the salon's 25 locations nationwide to get viewers pumped up for the new seasons of Enlightened and Girls.
The only caveat was that HBO would only pay for appointments scheduled between 6 and 7pm on January 11, 12 and 13 — and the appointments had to be booked in advance.
It was that last part that mussed things up. Apparently, the HBO publicity team really knows its audience because the force of a million mini-Marnies clamoring for a free styling was more than the system was equipped to handle.
Earlier today, Dry Bar’s founder emailed an apology to fans:
Ladies,
I know a lot of people have been unable to book appointments both online and via the phones.
Unfortunately, despite staffing up our phone receptionists for this promotion, we dramatically underestimated the response here and are terribly sorry for any inconvenience. I have read all the frustrated emails and truly feel awful.
Please know we are doing everything we can to rectify the situation as quickly as possible. And will do a better job of planning next time, I promise.
Sincerely,
Alli Webb
At press time, the salon’s booking system appeared to be back up — but there was not a single appointment between 6 and 7pm on January 11, 12 or 13 available at any location, anywhere in the country. We checked.
