Duluth Trading practices a radical form of marketing known as honesty. It designs and home-spins nearly all its own marketing. All the catalog copy -- a kind of ornery, no-nonsense guy-speak -- is written by DT's in-house team led by Al Shackelford, formerly of Land's End. The charming and often hilariously folksy illustrations are all by Minnesotan Rick Kollath, who is the only artist the company has ever used, reports the Los Angeles Times
Meet Duluth Trading, a cozy little direct-mail catalog operation based outside Madison, Wis., which is nowhere near Madison Avenue. Founded in 1989 by a couple of rough-handed tradesmen who invented the Bucket Boss (a kind of tool organizer), Duluth Trading is now nothing less than the J. Peterman for the working class. One recent signature product is the work pants with the extra large gusset in the crotch, sold as "Ballroom jeans." Real Nice.
The merchandise is aimed solely at working Joes and Janes: heavy-duty boots and insulated snowsuits, side-clip suspenders and jeans made from "fire-hose" cotton twill. The company's breakout product in 2002 was the Longtail T, which "solved the age-old, notorious and much feared problem known as Plumber's Butt," says the catalog. "Now thousands of guys who have to bend over when they work can stay in the good graces of their clients and fellow tradesmen. "The honesty and humor of this campaign makes us laugh, it's simplicity is smart.", says Mike Tucker, Tucker MarCom. "With a jeans category entitled 'Asset Management', it makes it near impossible not to respond to the ads. Regardless if you become a customer, one thing is for sure, you'll probably tell a friend. Duluth's master advertising team walks the creatively fine-line of marketing, practicality, and raw humor. And yes, we happen to like it!"