Poseidon and a Couple of Mer-Bros Vouch for Gorton’s in the Best Fish-Stick Ads Ever

Gorton’s frozen fish is so good, even Poseidon, God of the Sea, loves it, says a new campaign from Connelly Partners.

The mythological Greek deity joins other unlikely—but ocean-savvy—endorsers in the comedic series of ads. There’s a bedraggled island castaway who’ll naturally evoke a more cracked-up version of Tom Hanks’ character from the 2000 film. And there’s a pair of fitness-obsessed “mer-bros”—jacked surfer dudes with fishtails instead of legs—who just can’t get enough clean protein.

Perhaps most important, they all trust Gorton’s yellow-slicker-clad fisherman, who stars alongside them in the ads, under the tagline, well … “Trust the Gorton’s fisherman.”

The spots, shot on White Point Beach in San Pedro, California, and directed by Hungry Man’s Conor Byrne, are visually engaging and sharply written. The Gorton’s guy and Poseidon have known each other for a while, it turns out. He’s also giving the castaway—who after 20 years stranded on an island is somehow miraculously not sick of fish—a casual lift to a less hostile environment, earning the title of literal hero for the rescue (and figurative hero for the fish sticks).

The campaign’s real epic winners, though, may be the semi-aquatic meatheads, Chad and Brody. While bro jokes are played out, the merman twist is a delightfully random one, and breathes fresh life into the genre. Kind of like a squirt of lemon juice on frozen seafood.

CREDITS
Client: Gorton’s
Agency: Connelly Partners
Chief Creative Officer: Alyssa Toro
Associate Creative Director: Carissa Mak
Senior Copywriter: Michelle Ellis
Director of Production: Barry Frechette
Broadcast Producer: Lauren Lukacsko
Production Company: Hungry Man
Director: Conor Byrne
Editing House: Peel & Eat
Editor: Pete Warren
Producer: Joel Walker
Color & VFX: Filipp Kotsishevskiy
Audio Mix: Brian McKeever/Soundtrack Boston
Director of Brand Leadership: Dana Wantman
Account Director: Hillary Williams
Brand Supervisor: Kelley Bolte