• by Nina Lentini  @Nina_Lentini, May 13, 2008

Using its unique selling proposition as a kind of punchline, Evinrude's latest ad campaign speaks to boaters and people who fish in a language they can understand, using statistics and humor to convey the fact that an Evinrude E-TEC is the only outboard motor that can go three years without dealer-scheduled maintenance.<

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Print ads make compelling claims to illustrate the time they can enjoy on the water before having to service their Evinrude E-TEC, such as: "You'll cast 300 miles of line..."; "You'll apply a gallon of sunscreen..." and "You'll go through 220 cartons of leeches..." all "before you bring your Evinrude E-TEC in for scheduled maintenance."

The :30 TV spot, "Talk," showcases a confident and chatty woman fishing with her husband, whose annoyance mounts with her continuous commentary while he is left with an empty hook. The tag: "A woman will say 21 million words before an Evinrude E-TEC needs maintenance. A man will say 7 million."

"What I really love about this spot is that it's the kind fishermen will tell each other about," says Chris Jacobs, executive creative director for Cramer-Krasselt/Milwaukee, which created the campaign. "It's their kind of humor. And, it's all about a real product benefit. Getting hard-working facts and subtle humor to work in harmony is always a challenge. But when it works, it's some of the most powerful advertising you can have."

National and regional TV sponsorships will include "Babe Winkleman," "Ship Shape TV," "Addictive Fishing," "On the Water" and "FLW Outdoors." Regional TV will run on the Fox Sports Network. Evinrude's media campaign will run on such web sites as CBS Sportsline, Fox Sports, Nascar and Weather.com. And, national publications will include Sportfishing and Bassin', with several regional publications including Game and Fish and North American Fisherman.

Creative will also include an online, interactive fishing game encouraging fisherman to spend more time on the water and communicating the low-maintenance features of the Evinrude E-TEC.