We launched Rollers & Radiance a campaign for a signature event connecting hairstyling students with local seniors. With significant community buzz, the initiative became a catalyst for long term programming and renewed resident connection.
More than just a makeover moment, Rollers & Radiance combined thoughtful outreach with experiential storytelling, turning an act of beauty into a strategy for brand visibility, cultural inclusion, and resident retention.
"Rollers & Radiance was more than an event—it was a turning point for our community. Catherine brought this vision to life with heart, strategy, and creativity. She understood our residents on a human level and designed every detail to make them feel celebrated."
— Sandy Chang, Wellness Program Director, CRE Adult Day Care Center
When connection faded we set out to bring meaning back
The COVID-19 pandemic left a deep and lasting impact on senior communities. Across the country, care facilities faced devastating losses, not only of residents, but of the very rhythms that brought daily life meaning. Regular routines disappeared. Social gatherings were halted. And with restricted visits and reduced programming, many seniors experienced a profound sense of isolation, fear, and disconnection.
The emotional toll went beyond loneliness; it led to a visible decline in morale and engagement. Seniors withdrew from one another. Staff noted increased apathy. There was a collective loss. Not just of people, but of purpose.
Rollers & Radiance was designed as a direct response to this emotional void. It wasn’t just a beauty event, but also a campaign built to reawaken joy, self expression, and community pride. By combining personal care with vibrant storytelling, playful design, and meaningful connection, we offered something seniors hadn’t experienced in years: a reason to feel excited again.
The strategy behind the campaign and the event wasn’t just about visibility or participation, it was about healing. It reintroduced touch, conversation, laughter, and reflection into a space that had long been without it. For many, it was a reminder that beauty isn’t just something we see in the mirror. It’s something we feel when we’re part of something bigger, something joyful, something human.
Just as beauty has the power to uplift, Rollers & Radiance had the power to reconnect. Our goal was to bridge the gap created by the pandemic and reestablish the facility as a vibrant, culturally inclusive space for care, connection, and joy. As a community first initiative, we built a campaign and experience that activated audiences across generations and sustained momentum through ongoing engagement.
We developed a holistic strategy that blended storytelling, local outreach, and experience-driven programming to achieve two core goals: increase brand outreach and community engagement, and strengthen customer retention through ongoing, inclusive programming.
We restored visibility through a multichannel campaign from isolation to invitation
The first challenge we addressed was rebuilding the facility’s visibility and presence within the community after COVID-19. Years of restricted visitation and emotional distancing had caused the center to fade from public view. To change that, we launched a multichannel awareness campaign built around human-centered storytelling and grassroots promotion.
We invited residents to write short letters to their younger selves; filled with wisdom, humor, and reflection on beauty, confidence, and aging. These were displayed at the event and photographed for a digital series shared across social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook. It celebrates age as a source of power and reflection while encouraging conversation across generations.
We distributed flyers through local businesses, partnered with beauty schools, and activated word-of-mouth through community organizations. Every piece of content was designed to be shareable, memorable, and deeply tied to the campaign’s emotional core: restoring joy and visibility to seniors who had gone unseen for too long. The result was a full-capacity RSVP list, a 3× increase in social engagement, and a 40% rise in event referrals. All of which reestablished the facility as a warm, inclusive space and trusted part of the neighborhood.
From muted tones to vibrant voices we reimagined how beauty is seen
For Rollers & Radiance, we reimagined the visual language of senior care by replacing muted, clinical aesthetics with something unapologetically vibrant and full of personality. Our creative direction centered around the belief that beauty doesn’t fade, it evolves, and that style, confidence, and joy should be celebrated at every age.
The tone of the campaign was whimsical, cheeky, and emotionally uplifting, intentionally designed to break stereotypes about aging. These visuals brought energy to every flyer, invitation, and signage, creating a sense of excitement before the event even began. The color palette made up of warm pastels, punchy tints, and vibrant hues that set a mood of positivity and inspiration.
All visual elements were designed with accessibility in mind, ensuring legibility while maintaining flair. Ultimately, the creative direction wasn’t just about standing out. It was about helping residents feel seen, celebrated, and confidently themselves.
A gathering that brought confidence, color, and connection back – Rollers & Radiance
Rollers & Radiance was far more than a makeover. It was a fully immersive community experience rooted in joy, self expression, and a sense of renewed identity. One of the most meaningful aspects of the event was the stylist to resident pairings. Hairstyling students from local beauty programs were matched one-on-one with residents, creating space for personal connection, storytelling, and mutual learning. These interactions bridged generations and brought a warm, collaborative energy into the room.
At the heart of the event was the Glow Up Wall, a central reflection space tied to the “Dear Younger Me” campaign. Before their appointments, residents wrote letters to their younger selves, offering advice, warmth, or simply reflection. After their styling sessions, they returned to this space to see their letters posted alongside their new look. The wall became a powerful visual and emotional anchor throughout the day. Many residents lingered, reading others’ notes, exchanging memories, and even posing for photos with friends in front of the stories that reminded them, and each other, of their value and journey.
Adding a layer of levity and pride to the day, each participant received a custom “Rollers & Radiance” badge printed with a playful nickname. Titles like “Big Curl Energy,” “Radiant Rebel,” and “Still Got Style” were worn proudly and became instant conversation starters. These touchpoints helped make the day feel celebratory, personal, and empowering. Proof that confidence doesn’t fade with age, it evolves.
Where culture met care we designed programs that resonated
While Rollers & Radiance served as the emotional re-entry point, our second goal was to ensure that its impact would extend well beyond the event itself. We recognized that retention, while keeping residents engaged, fulfilled, and emotionally connected to the community, it required programming that was not only consistent, but culturally relevant and meaningful.
We launched a series of ongoing events inspired by the diverse backgrounds and interests of the residents. These included gentle yoga sessions for all mobility levels, Chinese folk dance workshops, salsa nights, and expressive experiences like karaoke, art therapy, and poetry circles. By collaborating with local cultural organizations and volunteers, we ensured each event felt authentic, celebratory, and rooted in identity.
This evolving calendar of programs created a new rhythm within the facility. One marked by participation, laughter, movement, and meaning. Residents began to show up not just for activities, but for each other. In doing so, Rollers & Radiance grew into something greater than a one day activation; it became the heartbeat of a reconnected community.