Case Study: One-Boat Challenge

Minn Kota & Humminbird

One-Boat Challenge

Outdoor Recreation
Deliverables
Advertising, Brand Health, Content, Customer Experience, Email Marketing, Endemic Media, Influencer Marketing, Mobile, Product Launch, Programmatic Media, Social Media

One-Boat Challenge

Challenge

Iconic fishing brands Minn Kota® and Humminbird® have long shared a product- and technology-focused marketing philosophy. It’s worked for them. Each owns a sizable share and enjoys the kind of devoted following most other brands covet. But new competitive threats forced these perennial powers to double down on what distinguishes them from their competitors: an unmatched focus on the fishing consumer.

Solution

Breaking free from the traditional product launch cadence, the teams at Swanson Russell saw an opportunity to get in front of our audience with a disruptive video format more resembling a reality series than a traditional fishing show. The approach showcased existing products and technologies in a new context, tapping into the common bond that exists between fishermen from all walks of life, all over the country and world.

A different threat challenged us to find A radically different way to connect.

A Big Idea Was Born

Minn Kota and Humminbird have earned a reputation for innovative technologies that save anglers time on the water. Riffing on this core message but taking it in a fresh direction, our team shifted away from a traditional, feature-benefit conversation to something new and more adventurous.

Airlifting a bass boat by helicopter and dropping it into a lake in the heart of Mexico? Now that’s something no brand in the fishing space had dared attempt before. And it was only one scene in this unprecedented competition, carefully crafted to show off Minn Kota and Humminbird fishing technologies in unexpected, visually striking ways.

One Boat Challenge Episode One Thumbnail Image

One Boat Challenge Episode Two Thumbnail Image

One Boat Challenge Episode Three Thumbnail Image

One Boat Challenge Episode Four Thumbnail Image

The Perfect Cast

To make the production successful and the resulting integrated campaign even more effective, we sent out a casting call and request for partnerships through our industry and production contacts. The resulting cast included recognizable B.A.S.S. tour pros, multi-species guides, online fishing influencers and real-life anglers from around the U.S.

Strength in Numbers

To help with the production and make the show an industry-wide event, we partnered with other influential fishing brands for wardrobe, tackle, trucks and — most importantly — boats. Then, we gave viewers even more reason to root for our contestants by giving back to the fishing charities of the winning team’s choice.

A Winning Strategy

Digital and social advertising directed traffic to the campaign landing page, where viewers could watch the show. A One-Boat Network product package giveaway helped drive additional page visits, as well as growing the customer database.

Setting the Hook

Both brands have built a loyal following of anglers, who subscribe to e-newsletters, attend B.A.S.S events and keep up with industry publications. Email was a no-brainer tactic to cross-promote between the brands and activate some of their most fervent fans. We premiered the show at the Bassmaster Classic, fishing’s biggest annual event. A movie poster directed media members to an advance screening, while pull-up banners and flyers were handed to consumers to drive them to the landing page.

Poster

Banners

One-Boat Challenge Facebook Carousel Social Ad Mockup

Bringing It Home

The hub of the campaign, a landing page housed episodes along with overviews of products featured on the show. These overviews drove users to detail pages on the brands’ e-commerce sites. After gaining momentum on the site and YouTube, the show began airing on three additional media properties: Pursuit Channel (broadcast and streaming), Mossy Oak (streaming only) and Bassmaster.com. This unexpected development helped broaden the show’s reach exponentially.

oneboatchallenge.com

The spirit of competition and wow factor of the One-Boat Network combined for unforgettable entertainment.

Taking This Show On the Road

The four-episode series launched with a special screening on the eve of the 2020 Bassmaster Classic, followed by an appearance by cast members on-stage during the first day’s weigh-in. Show momentum spilled over into trade, new media and social coverage. The competition earned a feature story in Fishing Tackle Retailer, complete with the show’s signature image of a bass boat hoisted above the lake by helicopter.

Did It Work? Hell yes.

What began as a wild idea had become a reality. But did it move the needle for Minn Kota and Humminbird? That’s the question we ask ourselves at the end of every project. And for the One-Boat Challenge, one of the biggest and most audacious ideas ever seen in fishing, the answer is as crystal clear as the sonar returns on a Humminbird fish finder.

Total Impressions/Reach (Approx. Cost Per Impression of $0.01)

Unique Microsite Visitors

of Viewers Were Somewhat Likely to Purchase from the Brand in the Future

New Opt-Ins to Customer Database

of Surveyed Viewers Thought the Show was Somewhat or Very Enjoyable

Minutes Viewed (Over 56,000 hours)

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