Mullen Launches Print Push for Simms Fishing

Mullen has launched a print campaign for Simms Fishing Products, its first since picking up the client last summer.

The ads, running as two-page spreads in fly-fishing magazines, capture different settings in which the sport is enjoyed. The campaign promotes the Bozeman, Mont., client’s waders, boots, fishing vests, jackets and other fly-fishing apparel. Spending is estimated at $5 million.

One execution, shot off Andros Island in the Bahamas, features two fishermen in a small boat. Copy along the bottom reads, “Andros Island in June. The Florida Keys in April. Christmas Island in December. Wherever you go fishing, whenever you go fishing, Simms has the saltwater gear you need.”

Next to the scene, the ad lists the hot-weather gear the pair needs: well-ventilated hats, shirts and shorts. The ad also humorously suggests that vacationers would like airline companies to go on strike. The implication is that the fisher men don’t want their trip to end, said Mullen copywriter Jim Hagar.

Another ad shows a lone angler in a river surrounded by snow-covered mountains; bottom text reads, “Snow. Wind. Cold. To most, reasons to stay inside.” The ad lists Simms’ thermal jackets, gloves and Gore-tex boots as necessities—along with a psychiatrist.

“A lot of people think you’re crazy” to go fishing in such conditions, Hagar said. “These are hardcore fishermen—they don’t want to be deterred by bad weather.”

The ads appear in publications such as Fly Fisherman, Fly Rod & Reel and Saltwater Fly Fishing.

Jim O’Brien served as art director on the campaign; photography was done by Idaho-based freelancer Andy Anderson.

Collateral, trade-show support and Web-site design are also in the mix.