In 2020, actress Kristen Bell announced her entry into the burgeoning CBD market with the Happy Dance skincare line in association with the Ontario-based Cronos Group. Just more than two years later, Cronos is closing it down as of Jan. 27.
At the Happy Dance Instagram page, a Jan. 23 post reads "*Insert long, dramatic, drawn-out sigh* as we enter the last week that Happy Dance® products will be available on our website... You can also find Happy Dance® products for a limited time at CVS, TJMaxx, Marshalls and HomeGoods."
Cronos has seen a 76% decline in its U.S. revenues and plans to "reduce U.S. operating expenses," hence the move to shutter Happy Dance.
Bell said in 2020: “I discovered CBD through the Lord Jones brand in 2017 and was blown away by its quality, integrity and consistency." Cronos acquired Lord Jones for $319 million in 2019.
GMR's Debra Borchardt: "Credibility is typically the reason cited for an underperforming celebrity brand."
The Forgetting Sarah Marshall star added: "As a working mom, I use CBD skincare as a way to turn down the volume of my life. CBD products have since become an essential part of my self-care routine. I was inspired to create a line of high-quality, affordable CBD bath and body care products that would reach a wide audience. Having been involved in all aspects of bringing this new brand to life, from the formulations to the packaging, I couldn’t be happier to launch Happy Dance.”
Green Market Report editor-in-chief Debra Borchardt tells CelebStoner about Cronos' decision to shut Happy Dance down:
"Credibility is typically the reason cited for an underperforming celebrity brand. For example, Wiz Khalifa who is heavily involved in creating his brand, is more respected vs. a rapper who is just licensing their name. Martha Stewart got off to a strong start by promoting CBD for pets and most people know she has a strong attachment to her dogs - so she was a credible spokesperson.
"The CBD market has been overcrowded with brands with little differentiation between them so it comes down to marketing. That's been difficult because the FDA hadn't established guidelines, until this week and many brands were getting into trouble with claims made on their websites. The FDA's guidelines may actually breathe new life into CBD products now that everyone knows the rules."
In Other Celebrity Brand News...
• JuJu Royal expands to Michigan as Julian Marley makes promotional appearances in support of the company's THC product line that's also available in California. JuJu also offers CBD products.
• Ricky Williams' Highsman is teaming up with Trulieve in Arizona, the MSO announced Jan. 20. Williams made appearances at Trulieve stores on Jan. 25 and Jan. 26. The flower is being grown by Abundant Organics, "whose organic living soil cultivation techniques produce some of the cleanest and most flavorful flower I've tried," the former NFL star said.
• Evander Holyfield must have thick skin. The former heavyweight boxing champ's Carma Holdings has signed on with Tyson 2.0. The first product, Holy Ears, is a takeoff on the Mike Bites gummies that received bad press for mocking the ear-biting incident by Mike Tyson in a 1997 championship fight when they were released last year.
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