For salons
This November, thousands of men walk in for the first time.
Hard As Nails is a national campaign about self-expression and a healthier idea of masculinity. Men get their nails painted, and something shifts. We need salons to welcome them in.
9 to 29 November 2026
Events open in Birmingham, Bristol, Glasgow, London and Manchester.
What it is
A national campaign, and colour on your hands.
Two pilots are done. This November is the last one before we go national in 2027. Men take part through their workplace, through their mates, and through salons like yours.
- What it is
A national campaign challenging the stereotypes that hold men back. It starts with a manicure and it very rarely stops there.
- What is happening
Three weeks in November, in salons, workplaces and living rooms across the country, with events opening in five cities.
- What we are asking
That you welcome men in and give them a great first experience. That is the whole ask.
- What we are offering
Marketing, events, creator visits, local press, paid work for your technicians and a new audience of men.
Your new customers
For lots of men, this will be a first.
- First manicure.
- First time choosing a colour.
- First time doing something outside what men are usually expected to do.
You don't need to lead a conversation. Just do what great nail technicians already do: make people feel welcome.
There is no script. Your role is simply to give men a brilliant first Hard As Nails experience.
"Most of the men who take part will never have visited a nail salon. Some will stand outside for several minutes before finding the courage to walk in. A warm welcome is enough."
Daniele Fiandaca, co-founder, Hard As Nails
The last two pilots
What happened last time?
- 83%had conversations they would never normally have had
- 93%would take part again
- 57%decrease in fear of judgement
- 42%increase in men who challenged a stereotype or spoke up
Turns out, painting your nails can change more than your nails.
Two pilot studies, more than 400 men, with academic oversight from Professor Brendan Gough at Leeds Beckett University. See how it was measured →
Good for your salon
What could Hard As Nails bring to your salon?
We know how busy salon owners are, and we respect the craft. So here is the commercial case, up front.
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New male customers
A national campaign pointing men at salons, in a category most of them have never booked before. They arrive knowing what they have come for.
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Employer activations
Major UK employers are running this in their workplaces, from construction to tech. Those activations need nail technicians on site.
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Paid work for your technicians
Real contracts, not exposure. Salons in our network get first refusal on the freelance work those activations create.
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Creator visits
We are working with creators across the country who need somewhere to film. Your salon, your chair, their audience.
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Local press
Last time the campaign earned national and regional coverage. We put local salons forward to local media by name.
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Tracked offers
Offers for men taking part, tracked so the bookings are credited to you. We will confirm exactly how these run with you before launch.
How to take part
How your salon can get involved.
Take part lightly or go all in. Both are genuinely useful, and you can start small and change your mind.
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The light version
Put our materials in the window, offer a Hard As Nails manicure through November, and point interested men at the website. That is it, and it is enough.
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Host an event
An evening in your salon, a group of men, and a lot of colour. We are opening with at least one salon event in each of our five cities.
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Host a creator
Creators come to you, get their nails done, and share it. You get the content and the footfall that follows.
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Take a pop-up or a team outing
Local businesses are already asking us for these. If you can host a group, we will send them your way.
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Join the advisory group
An informal group of independent salons helping shape how this works, so it is built around what salons actually need.
What you get from us
You are not doing this on your own.
- The campaign pack
Window sticker, posters and social assets, ready to use. Nothing to design and nothing to print.
- A 30-minute team briefing
What first-time male clients might ask, how Hard As Nails works, and a few light-touch ways to make the experience relaxed, fun and welcoming. Not nail training — you know your job.
- Creators and press
Creator visits, mini events and local press. The campaign is national and events begin in five cities.
- Owners' WhatsApp and FAQ
A direct line to the co-founders, what is working in other salons, and an FAQ built from the questions the pilots actually raised.
- Tracked offers
Bookings that come through the campaign are credited to your salon.
- Paid work for your techs
Employer activations need freelance nail technicians, and salons in our network get first refusal.
The bigger idea
Start with nails. Change what feels normal.
Painting your nails is a small thing. Doing it as a man, in public, in a country that has firm opinions about what men do, is not.
That is the whole point. Every man who walks out of your salon with colour on his hands makes it a fraction easier for the next one. Do that at scale, in enough towns, for long enough, and what counts as normal moves.
Two pilots are done. November is the last one. From 2027 this goes national and annual, and the salons who join now shape what that looks like for everyone who follows.
Say yes, and we will do the rest.
Tell us about your salon and we will come back within one working day. Then it is a short call, your campaign pack and team briefing, promotion through October, and you are live from 9 November.
Tell us about your salon.
No commitment. We reply within one working day.
Prefer email? Write to hello@hard-as-nails.com. Daniele Fiandaca, our co-founder, looks after salon partners and would love to talk.