You may have seen Spiderman cleaning windows, but what about a Scotsman complete with kilt? We’re not sure if the leggy view is innovative branding, or a male version of Hooters!
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So let’s say you want to start a window washing business. And you know that window washing not only isn’t sexy, it isn’t even interesting. To be successful you have to be more than good, you have to be different.
So you decide to put your window washers in … kilts! Yes, the traditional garb of heroes like Rob Roy and the Highlander is now the uniform de rigueur for the window washers (male AND female, I checked) of Men In Kilts Window Washing.
To give founder, Nicholas Brand, his due, he IS Scottish. And the franchise started in Canada which is home to many a Scotsman.
To begin, it was just Nicholas in a kilt his wife made for him, driving around asking for jobs. Then he caught the attention of Tressa Wood, former VP of Operations from 1-800-GOT-JUNK?. She realized that the window washing business was, shall we say, under branded. In Canada there were no national brands in the industry, and in the U.S. there were very few. The market was just begging for a unique business to step up and capture the imagination and market share.
So let’s get real — how does this compare to Hooters and other businesses who rely on certain female attributes as their trademark?
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It’s not surprising that the uniforms turn heads, or that people tend to remember their name. In fact, Nicholas says people often engage the workers in conversations, which makes for perfect opportunities to hand over a card, or invite a follow up for a quote.
While Nicholas says they look for people who are going to love what they do, and represent the brand in a positive way, and the customers interviewed describe the service as top-notch, no doubt it’s the pleats, and the t-shirts that invite “no peeking” that make the company unforgettable.
So let’s get real — how does this compare to Hooters and other businesses who rely on certain female attributes as their trademark? Ladies, if your windows are clean do you really care if the guy who cleaned them wore pants, a kilt, or just baggy shorts? Or do you even care if the person who cleaned them was even a guy?
Guys, would apply for a company that required you to wear a kilt and a t-shirt that says “no peeking?” Or would you feel OK looking out your office window to see a plaid skirt and a pair of male legs?
Nicholas says he’s shooting for a “tartan army, across North America,” what’s your take?
Photo: Youtube
I woudn’t work for this company, because as much as the company might try and make a joke out of it, the fact is they are trading on aspects of people’s sexuality. The more they try and defend it as something harmless/funny, the clearer it is that they know it isn’t. Having said that, if other guys want to work there, that’s up to them. I wouldn’t judge them just as I wouldn’t judge a women who works at hooters.
Why would any man in America believe sexual objectification is oh so bad, anyway? They don’t even started to link it to dehumanization. They are mostly totally ignorant about it. And they do not want to learn anything about it as well. But that is understandable, they don’t have the short end of the stick, in fact their end of the stick is endlessly long. And hey, if they would ever complain about their sexual objectification (which is small and could never compare to the sexual objectification of the female body and it’s prevalence and concepts, in presence or history… Read more »
Everything is not always all about women. Men are also objectivized as male strippers (often open only to women patrons), the swimming trunks and sports attire men wear, male physique contests, medical procedures (God knows how many men are placed on display during urological examinations to be gawked at and groped by a room full of female spectators), advertising to appeal to female and gay customers, clothing designed to emphasis everything male from biceps and hairy chests to bulging crotches, etc.
“God knows how many men are placed on display during urological examinations to be gawked at and groped by a room full of female spectators” – Yup! I’ve been there my friend! I was once asked during a urologists appointment if it would be ok for some students to attend. I didn’t object in principle and agreed – what I didn’t know was that of the 8 students that attended, 6 of them were women and I wasn’t informed of how much touching was involved. Suffice to say it took an enormous amount of self-control on my part to prevent… Read more »
Personally I wouldn’t take on such a job because I’m not a fan of heights or kilts but if some other guy wants to, more power to him. I wouldn’t mind hiring them as long as they did good work. As for objectifying yes I think it is a bit. The goods may not be a prominent as Hooters but the tease of possibly seeing the goods is a part of the draw. Or if “the goods” means male legs then yes they are as prominent as Hooters, actually more so because they are actually exposed with no clothing (no… Read more »
Interesting post. Clever marketing ploy this company offers, pretty much a gimmick. The “No Peeking” idea works perfectly – people will peek, because they’re told not to. What happens when those peeking get charged with public nuisance? Does this ploy rely on male attributes, objectify? Nope. It’s just toying with the idea. There are no bulging exposed parts for people to stare at, as with Hooters waitresses. So the ‘wares’ are not exposed here, just suggested at – a cleverly salacious way the company will get attention.:)
Does a Scot wear anything under his kilt? That’s why no peeking. It is a form of male objectification, but I agree with Ratty. Even if a woman peeks, I don’t see a problem with it as long as the compensation is appropriate. I for one probably would not hire them and would definitely complain if I looked out my window and due to a sudden gust of wind saw a bit more than male legs and a skirt.
If it was me, I wouldn’t want to work for this company. I can imagine that there are a certain number of women out there who wouldn’t be able to resist a peek under the kilt while he’s up the ladder. And I for one would not wish to be exposed to that sort of behaviour, even if I am wearing something under it! That said, I wouldn’t get all shouty about it and call it objectification or exploitation – if a woman wants to work in Hooters (we don’t have them in the UK as far as I’m aware… Read more »