Know your audience
The hunting audience makes for a unique industry. Not only because the activity orbits a known season, like any sport, but also because as a potentially controversial subject matter, you have to find a differentiated way to make the case for any product. We were approached by Arcus to create a series of ad spots to support its long time brand ‘Dead Downwind’ an odor neutralizer, developed to mask scent for deer hunters.
We produced three punchy ads that performed better than anything they’d released to date, garnering an increase in retail activity across their channels.
Everyone looks great in a onesie
Our budget forced us to make the most of what we had. We came up with a funny take that involved two dear trolling a never-seen hunter. They were actual deer of course but we didn't want to rely on CG that would take away from the jokes. In the end, our characters took the form of two ‘everyman’ commentators, dressed in deer onesies.
The problem was when and how to shoot. Hunting season is not in the summer but that's when our schedule tracked, so our actors had to don their furry frocks during a 100-degree July day.
Proper targeting
Sometimes limitations net out the best results and with this set of ads we wove it all together. The audience were hunters, the subjects were two dear always smelling the hunter coming, and the jokes were self-deprecating and straightforward. It turns out making a great campaign is just a matter of following your instincts.
The success metric for these ads goes to our great client, who was open to humor from the beginning and trusted us every step of the way.
Bringing home the game
This campaign was delivered in the wild through both strategic and creative media placements. By targeting both seasoned hunters and new enthusiasts, we successfully boosted search CTR by almost 200%, a significant leap that underscored our audience-first approach. We also expanded their reach across YouTube and Facebook, strengthening their presence in a highly competitive outdoor market.
About the client
Arcus Hunting is a leading brand in the bowhunting and archery consumables and accessories category. They market and manufacture a range of leading deer lures, attractants, scent control products, broadheads, and archery accessories.