Delia's, New York, the cataloger known for capturing the attention of teen-age girls, tested the boys' market this week with a 48-page catalog called Droog.
“It's an exciting market and an untapped market, and we feel it's a great opportunity,” said Steve Kahn, Delia's president.
The name for the book was selected from an internal company contest, he said.
Although Kahn wouldn't say how many copies of the book were dropped, he said it was tested with a host of lists — primarily those from the TSI Soccer, the cataloger/retailer acquired by Delia's last December. Some names also came from overlays of the Delia's file to find households that also had young men at home. In addition, the company soon will begin efforts to capture names from its Delia's and Scream retail stores by asking people to sign up for mailing lists when they use their credit cards and by other point-of-sale methods.
Unlike Delia's, which is photographed in a studio, Droog is shot in parking lots, fields, suburban backyards, on country roads and baseball fields. The centerfold displays no merchandise, instead featuring the front end of a white car bearing a New York license plate with the word Droog on it.
The merchandise — which includes T-shirts, knit hats, sweaters and sneakers — has a very casual look. Brands include Kappa, Adidas, Stüssy, Free People, Ecko and Fresh Jive. The company used vendor contacts from TSI Soccer, Scream and Delia's in merchandising the book.
Much like Delia's, the book targets a Generation-Y audience that generally ranges in age from 10 to 24.
“We're looking at this as a test. I'm sure there are some modifications we'll work out as we get feedback, but we're very excited about it,” Kahn said.
A holiday book also is planned that will drop around Thanksgiving, he said.
