Fisherman’s Friend sales buck trend

January’s TV advertising campaign by Fox Kalomaski Crossing enabled Fisherman’s Friend to increase its sales over a two-month period by 14% while the rest of the medicated throat sweets market declined by 10%.

The campaign targeted those looking for an exceptionally strong and challenging taste, and also those attracted and intrigued by the Fisherman’s Friend brand’s uniquely British, traditional qualities of honesty and strength.  Two TV commercials both carried the strapline ‘Talk about strong!’  One featured a cranky British taxi driver, and the other featured plucky British foundry workers emphasising the industrial strength of the Fisherman’s Friend lozenge.

Stephen Fox, managing director of integrated creative communication company Fox Kalomaski Crossing, explains, “Consumers right around the world are becoming more and more excited by strong, challenging and unique flavours.  Fisherman’s Friend can realistically satisfy this demand with an unambiguous proposition that communicates the product’s dramatic power and appeal in a campaign that also evokes the brand’s deep-rooted British heritage.”

Fisherman’s Friend was created by pharmacist James Lofthouse in 1865 to help Fleetwood’s fishermen cope with the freezing conditions they often encountered.  Soon after, they would not put to sea without supplies of what they called their ‘friend’.  Today, over five billion of the lozenges are enjoyed every year in over 100 countries.