Kristen Bell's CBD brand Happy Dance is parents' latest aid for pandemic-fueled anxieties

Parents, brands know that you are enduring a lot during the pandemic. Ryan Reynolds’ Aviation Gin, for example, extended a helping hand to stressed out moms and dads in the form of a “Home School Edition" (aka giant) bottle of the spirit, on top of many other efforts we've seen over the past several months. Now, actor and entrepreneur Kristen Bell is coming to the aid of exhausted mamas with her new CBD skincare brand, Happy Dance.

In a new campaign from Wieden + Kennedy, Bell pitches her line of goods, created in partnership with premium CBD brand Lord Jones, as a salve for overworked mothers. 

A new launch film sees her at home, pitching the wonders of brand’s balms and bath bombs.

“What does Happy Dance feel like?” she asks, as she rubs the cream onto her hands while standing in her toy-filled living room. In the style of an over-the-top fragrance ad, the spot then cuts to a surreal scene of Bell twirling around in her buoyant dress, surrounded by screens. 

“It feels like having the strength to watch the same kids’ movie 17 more times this week,” she says while happy face snowflakes pop-up across screens that surround her—a hilarious, knowing wink to her role as Anna in Disney’s “Frozen” franchise, both films of which have likely “tortured” many parents whose kids have demanded countless repeat viewings.

“It melts away all the memories of crossing the playroom barefoot,” she continues, as toys shower down upon her from above. Making her way up the staircase, bracing the crayon-covered walls, “It’s the rich, luxurious feeling of having successfully kept another person alive for four years, three months and 26 days,” she says. 

The spot was directed by JJ Adler, out of her new production company Ruckus Films.

In a brand statement, Bell said that she originally discovered CBD through Lord Jones. “As a working mom, I turned to CBD skincare as a way to turn down the volume of my life and CBD products have since become an essential part of my self-care routine,”  she said. Those inspired her to create her own line of products.  CBD is Bell’s latest business venture outside of her entertainment career. She and her husband Dax Shepard are also founders of Hello Bello plant-based baby care products. 

As for the Happy Dance brand, Bell added that she was seeking to create something that speaks authentically to moms. “Authenticity has always been of utmost importance to me and ensuring Happy Dance’s creative had a real emotional connection was critical,” she added. “Everyone can relate to that wonderful sensation of knowing all the kids are fed and fully clothed under the same roof.”

“We love that the Happy Dance CBD skincare creative emphasizes that you don’t have to escape reality to do a happy dance,” added Summer Frein, U.S. general manager of Cronos Group, which owns Lord Jones and Happy Dance. “It’s the place our mindset goes when we think joyful thoughts.”