Elan Nashville: Laid-Back Southern Style

A first-time visitor to Elan Hair in Nashville, Tenn., will feel at home right away. They’ll be greeted warmly, offered something to drink – it’s the kind of hospitality one might expect when visiting a Southern home, but not, perhaps, from a prestigious salon. Despite being chosen as one of ELLE Magazine’s top 100 salons, voted “Best of Nashville”, and featured by InStyle Magazine as one of “America’s Most Wanted,” Elan hasn’t lost that laid-back, fun vibe.

Manager Adam Hayes says this focus on creating a welcoming experience for customers is what sets Elan apart from other full-service salons. Hiring the best stylists – and in the Elan Skin side of the business, the best aestheticians and medical staff – sure doesn’t hurt, either. To keep the salon at the forefront of the industry, stylists enjoy ongoing training and often travel to London, New York and Paris for continued education. This combination of a relaxing atmosphere and cutting-edge stylists attracts a diverse clientele to Elan, from the mature and more affluent, to the young and trendy. A renovation in 2011 included the addition of a private room to allow celebrities to enjoy the salon without drawing extra attention.

Elan Skin is partnered with Dr. Joseph DeLozier III, a plastic surgeon who oversees all aesthetic and medical services. Elan Hair offers traditional salon services like cutting and coloring, as well as hair extensions, lash extensions and smoothing treatments to combat frizz. Nashville Wraps’ own Buffie Baril recently raved about the star-quality treatment she received there: “When I found out we were featuring [our customer] Elan, I decided to check out their keratin treatment. My stylist, Rhonda, was amazing. She transformed my tired, color-treated hair into soft, silky hair. I can’t say enough good things about Elan and their staff.”

The high-quality custom-printed bags and tissue, shown above, that Nashville Wraps creates for Elan are an affordable way to “help carry the brand throughout the salon and right out the door for the public to see,” says Adam. “It has allowed us to extend our brand image throughout town.” Using this branded packaging for goody bags donated to area events and charities not only allows Elan to give back to the community by supporting causes they believe in (the Nashville Humane Association, the Belcourt Theatre, and Gilda’s Club, to name a few), it also helps to expose new clientele to Elan – a great idea for other businesses looking for more exposure in their own communities.

Adam says that Elan customers love the paper gift bags and will often reuse them between salon visits – they are even durable enough to carry as chic lunch bags! Nashville Wraps also prints Elan’s business cards, salon menus, and invitations to community events. This one-stop-shop approach allows for more frequent orders and consistent quality. The design of Elan’s gift bags is versatile enough to use year-round, with the addition of red tissue for a festive touch during the holiday season (another great idea for businesses looking to get more mileage out of their own packaging).

Elan’s advertising strategy is as savvy as its packaging, using a combination of email marketing, social media and web ads in addition to traditional print ads. “Our website is our biggest source for exposing our current promotions to our clients,” Adam says. “Social media allows us to form new relationships with our clientele and engage with the public at large.” Customers of the Green Hills location and the Germantown location can follow either of the two Facebook pages for info about current specials, as well as before & after photos of hair transformations, calls for hair models, or even photos of adoptable dogs featured by Crossroads Pets, another of Elan’s favorite non-profits. Follow Elan for inspiration for your own business – or make an appointment to enjoy one of their salon services. You’ll like their style.

To create your own custom packaging, business cards and more, contact our custom printed department at printed@nashvillewraps.com.

Priscilla Medders

Priscilla Medders is a graphic designer who lives in Nashville. She enjoys singing and playing music with her husband, Cheyenne Medders. In addition to contributing to the Nashville Wraps Blog, she also blogs about wellness and studies homeopathy.

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