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Gatsby Anecdotes 2Since the early Showa period, consistently addressing the issue of men looking good
Mandom Corporation, the company behind Gatsby, was formerly known as Tancho Co. The company dominated the market for oil-based hair dressers such as tic and pomade, which were popular among men from the 1930s to the 1950s. In the 1960s, however, foreign and major domestic manufacturers entered the men’s cosmetics market, and the market shifted from oil-based hairdressing products such as tic and pomade to alcohol-based liquid hairdressing products such as hair tonic and hair liquid. In order to respond to this market, the company changed its name to Mandom, in an effort to dispel its image as a “tantalizing tic” company. The company has always had a history of competing at the forefront of the men’s hair styling market, even as hair mousse and gel became mainstream in the late 1980s, and hair wax, essential for carefree hair, became mainstream in the late 1990s. In addition to its technological development and manufacturing know-how, the company also has a deep understanding and insight into men’s values, aesthetics, and universal desires specific to that era, which is a strength that other manufacturers cannot easily compete with.
Gatsby Anecdotes 3The driving force behind the 150% expansion of the hair wax market in one year!
“When I think of Gatsby, I think of hair wax. When I think of hair wax, I think of Gatsby.” It is no exaggeration to say. Gatsby’s main hair wax series is “Gatsby Moving Rubber,” which you all know. The GATSBY Moving Rubber was launched in August 2006 with the concept of “free movement” and “re-shaping” as if to say “No” to the existing stiff and difficult-to-use hair waxes. The market for men’s hair styling products is booming, and the wax market grew approximately 1.5 times in size from 2006 to 2007, partly due to the success of this product. Incidentally, ” Moving Rubber” has been the No. 1 selling wax series for 17 consecutive years since its launch, with total shipments exceeding 220 million units to date. Even just looking at the numerical aspect, it is clear that Gatsby’s hair waxes are tremendous.
Gatsby anecdote 4Reigning champion but still poised to challenge
“Gatsby Moving Rubber” has maintained overwhelming sales for almost 20 years, as mentioned above, and has become Mandom’s flagship product. GATSBY Moving Rubber” was introduced at a time when hairstyles that created hair bunches were the mainstream, and the wax-only lineup, with its individual features, was supported by many users. However, as time has progressed, hairstyles have become more diversified, and the need for natural styles and tighter finishes has increased. In response to these changes, Mandom has formed a strong alliance with popular hair salon FIFTH to develop the “GATSBY METALUBER” series and is aggressively approaching new markets. The “Metalover” series is unique in that it offers a proposal that responds to the diversity of values and styles among teens and 20-somethings as of 2024. This generation tends to pursue their own individual styles, rather than aiming for a uniform coolness as in the past. Therefore, in addition to waxes, Metalover offers a variety of formulations such as greases, gels, and sprays to flexibly respond to individual needs. In this way, the company has succeeded in attracting a new user base while maintaining the foundation established by its previous ” moving rubber. Thus, Mandom continues to develop new products without falling into the innovation dilemma. By not resting on its laurels in the market established by Moving Rubber, and by remaining responsive to ever-changing consumer needs, the company continues to innovate its products for the next generation by developing a wide variety of styling items such as gels and greases like Hair Jam, in addition to Gatsby Metallaburber.
