For an April Fool’s Day goof, 5.11 Tactical came up with a great scheme. They would tell everyone that they were going to manufacture a tactical kilt. They went all out and produced a fantasy product called the 5.11 Tactical Duty Kilt. They even recruited spokesman Kyle Lamb to get in on the act. The video and gag product page went viral and it was such a big hit that they decided to go ahead and produce a run…for real. Nothing like capitalism in action. The market demands a product and they make it. Here is 5.11 Tactical’s full response to the phenomenon.
Friends in the 5.11 Tactical Community,
About a month ago our lead designer, Cory Nykoluk, came to me with the idea to have some fun on April 1st with a 5.11 Tactical Duty Kilt. “We’ve had a number of requests for kilts, so why not make one?” Cory had enlisted our creative services director, Matt Frederick and our director of ecommerce, Brian Rogers. I gave the project a green light with the commander’s guidance to make the “TDK” a true 5.11 product supported by a proper launch. Operational security was strict as only about 6 people inside 5.11 knew about this project. In fact, the only reference in meetings and e-mails was to “Project Caber.” Our close friend Kyle Lamb, President of Viking Tactics, was briefed and signed on immediately. It turned out he was about to attend a Dropkick Murphys concert. Perfect timing as band member, Scruffy Wallace, is a kiltsman who plays bagpipes and the tin whistle in a VTAC T-shirt. The final piece needed was an athlete/first responder to demonstrate the mobility of the TDK. Matt Frederick called Roman, a veteran duty sheriff and Parkour athlete and we were rolling.
Last week, when we reviewed the video footage of Roman leaping walls in the TDK – it was clear – we had achieved the goal of making a Kilt true to the 5.11 brand. There was a collective “uh-oh, we only have one kilt in inventory!” On Saturday, March 31st, I called 5.11 Tactical founder, Dan Costa, to tip him off. His response: “Be ready, you’re going to sell some kilts!”
Indeed, the Tactical Duty Kilt launch was a success, so it seems the April Fool’s Day joke is on us! Due to your positive response, we are pleased to announce that the Tactical Duty Kilt will become available for pre-orders soon on the following web page: http://www.511tactical.com/Tactical-Duty-Kilt.html. We don’t plan to make the TDK an “in-line” product, so this is a limited time, web only offer. If you haven’t already signed up for notifications on when this product becomes available for purchase, please do so now at http://www.511tactical.com/Tactical-Duty-Kilt.html and give us your name and e-mail address in the form located on the right-hand side of the page. We plan on sending out 1 more email to those that have given us their information to confirm size and color and other important ordering details.
5.11 Tactical Duty Kilts will be available in Black, Khaki, and OD Green (MultiCam will be offered at a slightly higher price) in even waist sizes 30- 40 for a very limited time – don’t miss out. Remember we only have one in inventory today, so we’ll need some time to make them for you!
Thanks for your friendship, sense of humor and support of 5.11 Tactical. I’m signing off to place my Tactical Duty Kilt order!
Tom Davin
CEO, 5.11 Tactical
Thanks CK!
