poll: sex and fly fishing
- This topic has 28 replies, 13 voices, and was last updated Jul 10, 2006 at 8:28 am by
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How many of you are offended by the banality of the fly fishing industry stooping to using sex to sell its wares? From Climax leader material, Outcast boats, the Hardy girl, to the daisy duke, tank top adorned models gracing 33% of all magazine covers, it bugs me that fly rods and reels, vests and waders, lines and leaders are on the verge of being marketed like custom car parts.
What’s more, because it is sex, aimed at a largely male audience, one would almost feel compelled to defend, or at least qualify their position so as not to come off sounding prudish–or worse emasculated. I mean, holy crap, who, or why would anyone think that standing nipple deep in cold water, wearing a pair of oversized rubber pants and a sweat stained hat, trying to catch a fish with an artificial bait fashioned from dead stuff, made to look like a bug might just– maybe–appeal to our baser desires.
Anyway, I like girls and all, and I ain’t no Bible thumping, handky waving Falwellian, but. . . .
Well said…I find it interesting the backlash of angry readers of certain magazines when they try to sex up an issue with lightly dressed ladies on the cover or in an article or two.
During the dating years I can’t remember a time where I was somehow more desireable to the ladies because I fly fish…though some advertisments would have you thinking otherwise.
I guess I’m in the minority. I just don’t find it offensive. Maybe a little silly (some of them) but not offensive. I personally think the Hardy girl ads are kind of classy and in good taste. I think this type of advertising also has to do with who they are targeting. Meaning just like with a lot of other things they are after the young crowds $$’s.
Greg
Yeah, the Hardy girl is actually tastefully done–I was trying to think of examples.
It isn’t the content, it’s the lack of originality, the yeilding to the least common denominator, the throwing their arms into the air and saying, “sex sells”. I just think it is a strange about-face for an industry that, for years, banked on elitism is now marketing hormones.
Bryan
Figures, just as soon as I get into the sport it goes to hell in a handbag… Once you let the rednecks in elitism goes out the window.
I wouldn’t buy a flyrod on the basis of it, but I’m going to cast a vote in favor of more bikini ads. Regardless of what they’re selling.
bd
I find this topic pretty interesting; I personally don’t find that advertising influences my gear choices that much, I take word of mouth and advice from the fly shop more into account than an ad in a glossy. I will freely admit that I did a double take at the Climax ad, and at some level I find it refreshing that the manufacturers are moving away from the twin dichotomy of the tweed clad gentlemen angler or the uber yuppie, who if he had that much money to blow on gear, he probably works too much to really get out. I will agree with Lauren that if the “industry” wants to add sales, turing off 50% of the population isn’t the way to go. I mean these adds don’t appeal in the same way as a car or beer commercial, where its “use or drive this and you’ll get lucky”. I don’t think if I met a woman out on the flats, my chances are improved by what fly line I use. A better way to spend the ad $ would probably go towards one or two options, mainly moving towards a more grass roots feel, like some of the Sage “It’s Time” ads, or going towards “viral” marketing, mainly, generating your own word of mouth talk, like Microsoft did with Origami, or the persistent “TFO pays BBS posters to tout their rods” rumor, which I tend to discount, but not rule out entirely (if a company did this, it would be more economical, froma cost standpoint, to give away free gear to some people in exchange for free “word of mouth” adverts, instead of saying, for every time you post praising our product, we’ll send you 25 bucks). For an example of bad viral marketing, hit the Drake board and use the search term “Mountain Khakis”- you’re in for a laugh
Hey Salty –
I wasn’t going to trot all this out on The Drake board but I’ve been involved with TFO’s “viral marketing” for a number of years, starting with when I just began recommending their products to others, and I assure you they don’t pay for it.
Ok, so from having read this and combining it with a couple of other threads on the board to reach the widest audience, while offending the fewest amount of people, the ideal fly fishing person should really be depicted as a:
Hey Zach-
I personally don’t have a problem with the arrangement you have, especially because you are upfront about it and have told TFO that some of their products were less than desirable. It’s no different than a guide who’s sponsored by boat/motor/tackle companies, of course he’s going to recommend them and since you get to review them, if you think a rod is good, than I’ll take you at your word that you think so and if it’s bad, I hope to see that in a review too. I hope I ddin’t come off as hostile towards viral marketing, it’s just one technique among many, and I was just trying to put it out there for discussion.
By the way, I won’t put this on blast at the Drake because what happens at The IA, stays at the IA, unless Thee finds it and comments on AHW.
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