(I wrote this post back in February 2011 – I have no idea whether they still use sex to sell fly fishing gear #grin#)
Oh Hardy – you used to be all butlers and stupidly expensive reels – where did it all go horribly wrong?
So I got home from a hard day of shopping with the wife to find the new Sportfish catalogue sitting on my doorstep (I curse the day I ever gave them my address) opened the first page of stuff they were trying to punt me and there it was – it hit me right in the face!!!
Hardy has one of the most amazing marketing strategies…
Lets look at the advert….
(by the way I had to take a photo of it)
See nothing wrong eh? You see a middle aged chap fighting a huge Sea Beast? I see Hardy using red hot sex to try and sell you rods and reels!
Let me explain the sexy facts of Hardy to you!
You see advertising agencies think nothing of using a little risky sex to try and sell you stuff, it has been going on for years, recently they get blatant like the “Diet Pepsi” guy ads however they are sometimes a bit more covert – let me show you a few examples:
and another:
and another…
I have got to admit that I stole all these pictures – before reading on you might like to check out a bit more about how subliminal adverts work:
Subliminal Images and Hidden Images
Sex and Death amongst the Ice Cubes
Ha – now go back to our Hardy advert and with your new found knowledge have a think – you can click the following link when you think you have it.
Leave the Viagra at home folks – our middle aged action fisherman has a raging erection while using his Hardy rod to play the Sea Beast. Obviously things are a lot more subtle these days.There was a time when Hardy stood for the better things in life like being the most expensive fishing gear that money can buy – obviously not now the butler has been swapped for a mail order bride.
Keep those eyes open you crazy kids!
#Notes to Hardy and Solicitors: Its a joke right, it is not really meant to be taken seriously, I mean it really is a good advert and I believe you do make good rods (not that I own any) it is just that in this day of ruthless advertising things like this stick out (giggle). Advertising effects us all on so many different levels and lots of people do not think they are affected by it when really they are – it just so happens that fishing is a male dominated sport and lots of them are middle aged suffering from impotence problems. I wonder when the advertising company sat around working out the best way of selling the brand whether they really thought about that or not – remember everything you see in an advert is planned to have an impact, to give you an impression of what the message is. All I am doing is pointing it out!
Alistair.
I kinda thought it might be a pair of pliers. Why would Hardy be trying to sell rods using sex by using a MALE model? hmmm….lol
Hey dude, thanks for being the first to comment!
It is supposed to make you think that you too can be virile, sexy and middle aged if you use a Hardy. Using sex and sexuality has came a along way since the old adverts I posted – things are a lot more subtle these days.
What they are saying is that fishing with a Hardy is not only thrilling and fun and helps you catch big fish – it is also so good and sexy it gives you a raging erection.
Remember, that photo is not just a random snap and they have decided to use it in the office – the picture will be one of many that has been carefully chosen at random by people that look like this:
Do you not think that someone might have pointed out “um, er, he looks like he has a….”
Everything in that photo you are meant to see!
Cracking post – Really enjoyed this one Al’.
Maybe we should use sex to sell some of our gear :D…
What bottle??
It’s a rocket in the first picture …. Just looked at it again! It looks like a rocket taking off !
…..and the Hardy advert is a pocket rocket.
That “middle aged chap” is Andy Mill, the man’s a legend, I sat next to him at a fancy dinner once and he told us some amazing stories about fishing, skiing and other cool stuff, he’s one of those guys who is just good at everything he tries, makes you sick eh! The Zane ad with the bonefish fly stuck in the fit birds bikini bottoms was sexy selling, this is more of a “Swanson bromance” sell lol!
Fishtec Tackle – do not go the subtle route – stick a giant pair of breasts next to your logo and they will come flooding in 🙂
Ronnie – Its a pocket rocket alright – although like Uwl Jones says it could be a pair of forceps however the fun factor plummets like my bank balance in the Glasgow Angling Centre….speaking of which..
Gaz – a fly stuck in some fit birds bikini bottom? are you guys trying to tell me they did not even consider sticking an stiff one on Andy Mill – or maybe, just maybe the man just really likes his fishing.
hmmmmm
For that to be an erection, even a cursory examination tells me that the base of the gentleman’s pelvis would have to be situated just above his knees.
Jeffrey – it’s Andy Mill we are talking about here – if you study his crotch more closely you can tell it is probbaly a really big semi!
A*
I can’t believe I’m having this conversation but okay; the thing’s pointing at 7 o’clock, rather than the just-after-six angle of its flaccid state, that’s what you’re getting at?
He looks like a boxers man (or possibly going commando) so it looks like it is to the left – pretty sure he would have had no time to readjust!