Who: Fisherman’s Friend, with Arrivals + Departures for brand positioning, strategy, creative and paid social media; Merchant for production (directed by The Perlorian Brothers); Conversation Agency for PR; EssenceMediacom for media.

What: “Reel it In,” a new brand platform and campaign for the lozenge brand. It’s the first work for the brand from Arrivals + Departures, which won the assignment in June.

When & Where: The campaign debuted on Sept. 30, and is running across digital channels including connected TV, and social media platforms, supported by what the company describes as “bold” out-of-home including a streetcar wrap.

Why: When Arrivals + Departures announced the account win in June, it said that its priority was to win over the “next generation” of users for the 159-year-old brand, which produces some five billion lozenges a year and whose products are sold in more than 100 countries. Marketing manager Voula Papadakos said that while Fisherman’s Friend is widely recognized, it is “misunderstood” by non-users, who perceive it as too strong.

Arrivals + Departures’ chief creative officer Jeff MacEachern said that the campaign is about creating top-of-mind awareness of the brand heading into the crucial cough and cold season, particularly among younger consumers.

How: Directed by The Perlorian Brothers, who are renowned for their knack at bringing absurdist concepts to life, the dialogue-free anchor spot is set inside a cliffside hotel with a cast of characters—including a bellhop, a cabaret singer, and twin brother guests—all dealing with an annoying cough.

In each scenario, a salty old mariner character emerges in an odd way—from inside a suitcase, a grand piano, and a game table—to present a packet of Fisherman’s Friend. The spot concludes with everyone gathered together and saying “Ahh,” suggesting the relief provided by the lozenge.

MacEachern said that the campaign’s style and offbeat nature is specifically designed to put the brand on the radar of younger consumers. Fisherman’s Friend has long embraced a “tongue-in-cheek tone” as part of its DNA, which afforded the opportunity to embrace an unconventional style of storytelling.

The creative team was using Willy Wonka’s famed chocolate factory as a reference point for the hotel, said MacEachern The spot also deploys several distinctive brand assets, such as the trawler on the package (which appears in the establishing shot), as well as the instantly recognizable colourful striped packaging.

“They’re one of those brands that has some iconic assets at their disposal, so we knew we wanted to explore leveraging their bright colours, their stripes and packaging, and their iconic fishing trawler,” he said.

And we quote: "We really love how this campaign has all come together. It's modern and unexpected, and it does a great job of respecting our brand heritage and advertising history in a way that will resonate with both our long-time customers and new audiences." — Voula Papadakos, marketing manager, Fisherman's Friend.

READ MORE ABOUT IT
Strategy On Line (Direct Article Link)