The Drum Awards for Marketing - Extended Deadline

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By Noel Young, Correspondent

August 24, 2013 | 5 min read

There's nothing like seeing a good idea take off. And the best way of doing that is often franchising it. Now a Canadian-based entrepreneur has done that with the Scottish kilt - or rather the mystery of what is under it.

In story straight out of the joke book on what Scotsmen wear under their kilts, a Vancouver window-cleaning firm aims to conquer all of America with their franchise, Men in Kilts.

Founder Nic Brand , 35, - his father was from Aberdeen - says, "My aim is to get into 75 Metropolitan areas right across North America by 2017 - then we might look at bringing it back to Europe."

With the slogan "Daring to go where no man in a kilt has gone before", nine cities have already succumbed to the idea.

Founded 11 years ago in Vancouver, Men in Kilts has now opened up in Toronto, Calgary, Edmonton and Victoria BC. In the US the window-cleaners in their tartan-clad vans can be found in Seattle, Boston, New Jersey and Philadelphia.

All the young men wear kilts as they shin up the ladders. They also wear sweatshirts with the warning to women fans - No peeking!

Nic admits most of the private customers are women but says more and more big firms are taking up the service, "Basically we're good at what we do, " he told the Drum.

The company has had lots of publicity across the US including Forbes magazine, national channel MSNBC and a video on You Tube. But it was a team appearance on a local Vancouver TV show that led to the bosses imposing one rule.

"The interviewer was talking to the team when he flicked up one of their kilts. The team member was wearing nothing underneath.

"After that little embarrassment we though it better to recommend that the guys do NOT go commando . There's no law against it. It's just more sensible."

Having said that, after watching the video here, you might be in some doubt whether or not the guys are wearing underpants.

The kilts themselves are not the traditional eight yards of wool cloth but instead a much lighter acrylic material easier for washing. It's in a Wallace Hunting tartan, the nearest Nic could get to his family's Sutherland tartan.

In New Hampshire a few years ago, when the local police got their own tartan they were on parade for the first time at the local Highland games.

There was training beforehand as to what to say when the American women asked (they ALWAYS ask): What are you wearing underneath"?". The regulation answer was "Whatever is appropriate!"

At 24 Nic decided to start his own business. "I was working in a pizza company . I thought about landscaping, painting and window washing. "The lack of competition and low entry barriers steered him to window washing. "That and I had $500 in the bank."

Wife Stacey sewed the first kilts for him.

Nic's father John , was a travel agent with Thomas Cook in Aberdeen, and emigrated when he was 25 , The family has dozens of relatives in the Aberdeen and the rest of the UK.

At the moment the men in kilts don't wear sporrans . "But that's one thing we are looking at," said Nic. "We want our team to be as Scottish as possible."

People ( mainly women ) still ask what the men wear under their kilts. First female Franchise Owner, Judith Briggs in Boston, says , "We tell them You'll just have to hire us to find out."

CEO Tressa Wood who joined Men In Kilts in 2009 is the woman organising the franchise operation.

She said," "We have a fun company and a unique concept that our customers love. We are all about providing a fun and professional service, while bringing smiles to the world, one kilt at a time!"

Founder Nic said “I wasn't trying to be a male chauvinist when I came up with the name for the business. To be honest, I just thought it was a quick and witty name, and because it is primarily men who wear kilts in Scotland, it was just fitting.”

Judy Briggs in Boston, said , "I knew the response would be amazing, but I've gotten an overwhelming amount of calls."

She and her two employees went to Vancouver for training on how to do window washing, gutter cleaning, power washing and other services for homeowners.

The motto of the company is : "We clean you enjoy. Just remember, No peeking!"

"Inevitably, people will try to peek," said Briggs.

But as Nic the boss says, "It's really is all good clean fun."

And to keep the fun going, if you phone head office in Vancouver, and decide you just want to hear bagpipes, you can do that too. Just press button No 3.