Why Studs is setting up a chapel in Vegas to celebrate piercings
My mother never got her ears pierced. She got by with clip-on earrings her entire life, even when it became increasingly difficult to find any in the jewelry stores.
Her decision made perfect sense to me. Why add extra holes in your body? It’s almost as crazy and irrevocable a decision as running off to Vegas to get married.
A brand known simply as Studs must feel the same way. It already operates some 36 retail locations where it both sells earrings and provides piercing services.
This month, however, the company announced it was continuing its expansion with a concept store in Sin City that will be known as the Studs Chapel.
Will you take this needle?
In a brief video tour posted to Instagram, Studs acknowledged that “vows are optional,” but the chapel is dotted with signage asking, “Will you pierce me?” and features a large heart shape where the newly pierced can take celebratory photos.
Glossy interviewed Studs’ co-founder and CEO, who suggested the Vegas location could be a popular stop for bachelorette parties. It might also appeal to female friends vacationing together who want to take advantage of its products and complementary stylings.
This doesn’t necessarily change the customer experience (CX) Studs is delivering, but it elevates it by creating an association with one of life’s biggest moments and deepest commitments.
There are still plenty of traditional locales for piercings, ranging from beauty studios to tattoo shops. We have a 13-year-old girl at home who may be getting her ears pierced soon, and though I won’t be the one taking her, I want it to be somewhere as clean and professional as possible.
The Studs Chapel covers those bases while also infusing the experience with an extra dose of joy. Though it may seem like a novelty concept, it’s pretty on-brand for a company whose website encourages you to “shop by hole.”
An ideal earscape?
Studs has also registered a trademark for the term “earscape,” which it defines as follows: “The art and science of personalized ear piercings and earring stacking, resulting in a form of unique self-expression.”
An earscape could theoretically be situated in any room with four walls, but the Studs Chapel conveys a sense that the piercing is a catalyst for a new beginning in the customer’s life, with further adventures to unfold. (Like starting an earring collection, for example.)
Let’s also not forget there could be many people (like my late mother) who approach the idea of piercing with a great deal of fear. Setting up an environment like the Studs Chapel is a way to potentially transform that fear into excitement, heightening the feeling of accomplishment you have afterwards.
It won’t make sense for every brand to open its doors in Las Vegas or reference nuptials as part of its CX. But Studs is a good example to keep in mind when you’re trying to figure out how to attract consumers’ attention.
If the question is whether you should do whatever it takes to make your experience stand out, though, I think the answer should always be “I do.”
