Prep U was launched to provide parents with a suite of safe, age appropriate personal care products designed to tame the terror of boy stink. And, in the process of solving the challenge of body odor, help boys ease their way into adulthood rather than leap headfirst from their bubble bath to body spray.
Part of our challenge in establishing this new need and use case was finding the balance between authenticity in capturing the spirit of boys – the weirdness and exuberance of their personalities – while also appealing to the more rational tastes and considerations of parents making the purchase decision. To help make this new vision for boyhood tangible, we created the Boyifesto, a manifesto on what it means to be a boy and why our products matter during their journey to adulthood.
We believe dirt, sweat and smells are the currency of experience.
That boys should collect them and wear them like badges of honor. They are the residue of achievement, erased only to reset the scoreboard for measuring the next day’s activities.
We believe in the importance of play, of getting outside, getting dirty and making the most of those carefree days where responsibilities and obligations are just a blip on the horizon.
We believe exploration is essential, mistakes are the first step toward mastery and learning to pick yourself up, dust yourself off and get back on the horse is one of the most important lessons in life.
We believe boys should be boys.
Growing up is part of life, and while this progression is inevitable, it doesn’t need to be accelerated. As parents, we have the difficult job of striking a balance between protecting the innocence of childhood and providing opportunities for our kids to flex their budding independence. At Prep U, our mission is to protect the all important transitional years and help boys to ease their way into adulthood rather than leap headfirst from their bubble bath to body spray.
We believe personal care is a benchmark in personal responsibility.
And while bath time and body odor might not seem like the frontline in the struggle for independence, it’s the point where physiological changes meet philosophical ones, where tangible problems (i.e. dirt and smells) meet the desire for kids to make decisions for themselves. Our goal is to provide choices for parents and kids that are both age appropriate and empowering at this critical stage of development.
Above all, we believe fun is the best teacher and the lessons we learn lost in moments of pure joy and exhilaration are those that last a lifetime.
So here’s to kids and parents and the eternal struggle of trying to keep them in the nest while simultaneously teaching them to fly.
Making The Leap To Adulthood Is A Messy Job. We’ll Help You Keep Them Clean.
