Emily Dalton and Curran Dandurand
37, 43, co-founders of Jack Black in Addison, Texas
Description: High-end
men's grooming products
Start-up: $400,000 in
2000
Sales: 2003 projected sales
of $5 million
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Crossing Gender Lines:
Dalton (l.) and Dandurand spent years in branding and marketing for
makeup and skin-care giants and met while working at Mary Kay. They
looked at the world of men's personal care and saw promise.
"We knew there was a huge opportunity with men. A lot of big
companies had tried to [launch] a line but failed to break through.
[It had to be] a start-up company with fresh thinking,"
reasons Dandurand.
Tall, Dark and Simple: The
partners did massive research to get inside the minds of men.
Targeting "the guy's guy," Dalton reports: "He
cares about how he looks. But he's not going to do a
five-step skin-care regimen." To fulfill men's desire for
simplicity, the entire Jack Black line is multifunctional, like the
All-Over Wash for face, hair and body. Inspired by the package
design of premium liquor and cigars, they created packaging
that's distinctively masculine and alluringly familiar.
Delivered Male: Besides
selling in Nordstrom and Saks Fifth Avenue and at GetJackBlack.com,
the co-founders get innovative by distributing to private country
clubs, resorts and professional sports teams' locker rooms.
Says Dalton, "We've been able to connect with guys in a
way no brand has been able to do."