11.04.08
Hip Hair Care from The Netherlands
Doop is formulated to appeal to the young and trendy.
By Joanna Cosgrove
Online Editor
Because today’s hair fashion comes as much from the street as it does the catwalk, United Hair company of The Netherlands has launched Doop (pronounced “dope”) a line of ultra-trendy, salon quality hair styling products with a unique, image-driven campaign. The line’s name is meant to be a playful twist on the line’s addictive quality.
The 10 professional products in the range are positioned much like a jeans line, with models personalizing each product. Each of the models tells a highly individualized story that focuses on the youthful image or urban lifestyle itself instead of just the hair.
Mr. de Wit said the Doop line will always consist of 10 main styling products, though the lineup is subject to change. “As trends change and evolve, current offerings will be replaced with new, innovative items to fit the exact needs our youth are craving at the time,” he said. “Our goal with the products is to reinvent and evolve as the trends do.”
For the time being, the line consists of the following styling preparations: The Saviour (3.5 oz, $19), a light hold, medium shine smoothing cream serum that imparts a “natural shiny effect without the frizzies”; The Seeker (3.5 oz, $19) which adds volume, medium shine and a light hold to either sleek or curly hair; The Sinner (3.5 oz, $19), a pliable paste that delivers a “grungy, piece-y” effect but is non-greasy and is easy to wash out; The Switcher (3.5 oz, $19), a pliable “fibre mud,” that creates a “sleazy, surfy, messy” look that makes hair feel a “second day” dirty with a slightly wet finish; The Freaker (3.5 oz, $19), a non-greasy, easy to wash out shaping gum; The Screamer (3.5 oz, $19), a non-greasy “molding butter” that produces soft, easy to restyle looks with maximum hold and a non-crunchy finish; The Catcher (3.5 oz, $19), a curl activating paste; The Player (3.5 oz, $19), a non-greasy, easy to wash out “molding fibre gum” with flexible fibers that allows hair to be restyled and reshaped with medium holding power and shine; The Outsider (3.5 oz, $19), a shaping mud that delivers a “natural look” with extra strong hold and a matte finish; The Ruler (3.5 oz, $19), a non-greasy, high-hold shaping paste good for “choppy and grungy” hair styles; and The Blender (1 oz, $7), a liquid shine booster.
Mr. de Wit said Doop’s formulations stand out among other premium products because each product in the line contains a precise composition of ingredients to deliver a desired functionality. The line contains botanical extracts such as salvia officinalis (sage) leaf extract, calendula officinalis flower extract and chamomilla recutita (Matricaria) flower extract. The range’s other premium ingredients are vitis vinifera (grape) seed oil, panthenol, silk amino and tocopheryl acetate.
“The creation of these products was not driven by price, but instead by consumer needs and a desire for new and creative styles,” explained Mr. de Wit. “This is why these products were priced only after development was completed, so chemists had full freedom to use a wide variety of ingredients to create premium formulas.
“Basically, Doop products are formulated to more stringent EU standards, so the line is completely paraben-free, and was created using the finest in botanical extracts and fragrances,” he added.
Courting Controversy?
With a name like “dope” the company was prepared to assuage conservative American consumer concerns about the line’s controversial wink to drugs. “Doop is intentionally a controversial name and we knew that getting into it,” said Mr. de Wit. “The [Dutch] slang interpretation of the word as in ‘being cool’ was just as important for us when choosing the name. In fact, if the term didn't exist, we likely wouldn't have gone this direction.”
Also, he said, what is perceived as negative or forbidden in the mass media becomes an instant attraction or must have for youth. In fact the company was banking on it, to some degree. “It’s not that we are advocating drug use by any means, in fact it’s just as taboo here in The Netherlands, but instead are playfully punning the addictive nature of Doop, specifically as it relates to style or the insatiable need to be stylish,” he said. “When it comes to fashion, in Amsterdam the mindset is much more open and free-thinking. We see our hair and style in general as a form of creative outlet and expression. With Doop, we’ve simply tapped into a vast and expanding market with these very hip, innovative tools.”
Doop products are available online through www.doopproducts.com. A network of “Doop Dealers,” or qualifying salons, is currently launching worldwide targeting North American cities such as New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami, Portland and Seattle, with the intention of moving products into smaller towns as the line grows in popularity. The same approach will be taken for Europe, Asia and beyond.