Will Men in the U.S. Buy a Pink Pomade?

 

Even though the line is marketed to men, Gatsby's Moving Rubber hot pink package is the brand's best-seller - but, in Japan.

A popular men’s hair wax collection from Japan, Moving Rubber by Gatsby, is launching in the U.S. in December 2013 at Ricky’s stores, as well as on Amazon.com. Its colorful packaging has been attracting attention – but not always for the right reasons.

About the Brand & Its Colorful Packaging

Gwen Stefani was inspired by Tokyo’s Harajuku look, and successfully created her fragrance collection based on the inspiration. Now, the Japanese men’s brand Gatsby is betting that male consumers in the U.S. are ready to use products that have that Tokyo pop-art look – even if some retailers disagree.

Moving Rubber by Gatsby is a collection of seven different paraben-free styling waxes in different, brightly colored plastic jars. (Four of the seven are currently available in the U.S.)

Each color corresponds to a diffferent product, formulated to help achieve a different hairstyle. Seven Japanese hairstylists were enlisted to help create each - and the product’s names help convey to the consumer the type of look that can be achieved.

Gatsby's Moving Rubber collection of brightly colored packages - four of which just launched in the U.S.

Here’s the lineup: Spiky Edge is hot pink, and the brand’s top-seller; Wild Shake is purple; Multi-Form is brown; Loose Shuffle is orange; Air Rise is green; Cool Wet is blue; and Grunge Mat is silver.

Gatsby's website features a user-friendly chart matching up each product with different hair types.

Gatsby markets men’s hair styling, hair care, personal care and fragrance products produced by Mandom Corp., and its Moving Rubber men’s hair styling wax collection recorded No.1 sales in Japan for men’s hair styling 2012. Since its launch in 2006, over 100 million units of Moving Rubber were sold to over 10 countries and regions in Asia.

The company's name, Gatsby, was inspired by the F. Scott Fitzgerald novel. Mandom Corp.’s president, Hikoji Nishimura, had just finished reading The Great Gatsby when the company was founded in 1978.

Finding Its U.S. Consumer Niche

The team at Gatsby did some research before launching its Moving Rubber collection in the U.S. They decided to enter the U.S. market after realizing the brand already has a loyal cult following here – consumers were creating Gatsby Fan Pages on social media sites like Facebook; many fans are U.S. males with an Asian heritage.

Japanese hairstylists were recruited to help create a specific hairstyle for each product formulation, which are explained on the brand's website.

The market was tested in spring 2013, at the Japanese Sakura Matsuri festival in Washington DC, where a “Gatsby Style Lab” helped create a buzz around the brand. The street-side pop-up salon enabled men to use the Moving Rubber products to learn how to create different looks.

But some U.S. retailers say customers will be confused by the color of the packaging and aren’t up to the challenge of marketing the line. “Ricky’s has been an ideal partner, but reactions from other retailers and salon owners have been mixed,” says Ariell Kirylo, spokesperson for the brand.

"When we approach a typical men's barber shop, they say they love how well the product works, but they can't put it on shelves, just because of how it looks," says Kirylo. “It’s interesting to see how cultural differences affect color preferences,” Kirylo adds.

Sticking to Its Identity

Although some U.S. retailers may not be responding well to the look, Gatsby’s Moving Rubber’s colorful pop-art packages earned the brand a Gold Design Award by Japan’s Good Design Awards.

Able Design Planning Co. and its art director, Motoe Shigeta designed the packaging, along with Daisuke Takagi, creative director at Dentsu Inc. The design concept was conceived by Satoru Toya.

The Gatsby team hasn’t thought about changing the look of its packaging to market the brand here, because they feel it is their unique point of difference. “We’re definitely getting a mixed response – some hair salons love the colors, so it’s just a matter of finding our niche,” says Kirylo.

The unique look is an extension of Gatsby's philosophy – “KAKKOii” – a word used in Japan to compliment good-looking men, certain mannerisms, and aspects of fashion and lifestyle. Its website states: “To be a KAKKOii person means to find out one’s unique style and be himself. At Gatsby, we want to help you find your own unique version of KAKKOii.”

But, the Moving Rubber collection might still be a hard sell in the U.S. – unless part of that self-expression will include men purchasing a styling product in hot pink, baby blue and mint green – colors you might assume would indicate that the line is marketed to teenage girls.

Ultimately, the team at Gatsby feels its success in Japan can be replicated in the U.S. market, because the products work so well. They don’t feel the packaging’s colors – or some of the retailers’ reactions - will be a selling issue at all. In fact, the brand is confident that its quality formulation and price point will win over American consumers.

Perhaps it will just be a matter of finding the right customer - men who like hot pink.