As Low-Cost Kayaks Flood the Market, One Brand Reminds You Not to Get 'Yakked Off'

So you want some fun in the great outdoors, and you paddle out into the nearest lake in that bargain single-seater boat you bought at the warehouse store. The beginning of a blissful day? Nope. Unfortunately, the craft turns out to be an uncomfortable, leaky hunk of junk. Or worse, it’s really just a bunch of pool noodles strapped together or a sawed-off version of a Porta-Potty. And you, weekend adventurer, realize you’ve been yakked off. Hard. In this cheeky three-minute video for Perception Kayaks, there’s a strong “don’t be fooled by imitations” message along with a sales pitch for the Confluence Outdoors-owned brand. There’s also a twist on the term “knockoff,” coined by agency Humanaut, to describe when you’ve been duped by an inferior product, or, if you will, a “yakoff.” [kickout id="1"] The idea for the mini-movie came from the fast-growing kayak category and its even faster-growing low-end offerings, said David Littlejohn, Humanaut’s founder and chief creative officer. “The reality is you can buy a kayak at the same place you’re shopping for toilet paper and dog food,” Littlejohn said. “It’s becoming an impulse purchase.” [kickout id="2"] The challenge for the 40-year-old South Carolina-based brand was to clear up some of the confusion in the category and educate potential customers about what to look for in a kayak. Humanaut, home the viral hit, “Save the Bros,” a faux PSA, and the pop-up shop that punked New York by selling only half and half for client Organic Valley, decided to go irreverent, unsurprisingly. The agency mashed together a bunch of production styles—there’s everything from deliberately old-school instructional video and product demo to hidden-camera confessions to sad-sack consumer testimonials—for “Don’t Get Yakked Off.” “We’re inviting the audience in on the playfulness,” Littlejohn said. “And we’re working with a brand that doesn’t take itself too seriously.” There are a number of “re-enyakments” in the video that feature hapless would-be kayakers getting laughed out of the cool kids’ club for showing up with a generic boat (that just might be a kiddie pool with a beach chair) and falling for a cardboard facsimile of the real deal. (Is that thing even water worthy?) The “slightly ridiculous” examples may not be too far from the truth, Littlejohn said, and they’re strategic in their exaggeration. [kickout id="3"] While the ad doesn’t say so, Perception’s American-made kayaks cost anywhere from $250 for an entry-level model to more than $1,000, and their quality inspired the new ad’s closing line, “We make kayaks, not toys.” “They helped us find the cultural tension within our category and delivered important information in a highly technical category where misinformation abounds,” said Todd King, Perception’s vp of marketing. “All while being entertaining and very funny.” The market for outdoor water sports like paddle boarding and kayaking is expanding, and it fans out over a broad demographic, from millennials to baby boomers, according to Perception, which has done limited advertising in the past. Its campaign with Humanaut is its first full-scale effort, timed to the pre-summer season when consumers start buying outdoor gear. The digital short will run on YouTube and Google ads, aiming for consumers who are researching kayaks, and across social media. CREDITS: Client: Confluence Outdoors / Perception Kayaks Agency: Humanaut Campaign Title: Yakoffs Chief Creative Director: David Littlejohn Chief Strategist: Andrew Clark Senior Integrated Producer: Tommy Wilson Director of Content: Dan Jacobs Account Supervisor: Michelle Sturgis Creative Director: Andy Pearson Copywriter: Andy Pearson, Liza Behles, David Littlejohn Designer: Carrie Warren, Coleson Amon Production Company: Humanaut Productions Director: Dan Jacobs Producer: Tommy Wilson Director of Photography: John Matysiak Art Director: Carrie Warren Postproduction: Fancy Rhino Editor: Tyler Beasly Post Producer: Katie Nelson