"Tough economy forges strong partnership in production of an award- winning Larson Boats catalog."

The cauldron

The highly competitive agency business is seldom easy but it’s even tougher in a dismal economy. So it was for the Adventure Creative Group in June of 2009. Not long after the Brainerd, Minnesota-based agency had been selected to produce a major catalog for Larson Boats, they learned of a, well, potential problem.

“We were standing on a dock during a photo shoot,” said agency Principal Scott Mitchell, “when our client got an email on his blackberry. He looked at us and said ‘We just filed for Chapter 11.’”

A tough economy had decimated boat sales nationwide and pushed Larson’s then parent company, Genmar Holdings, into reorganization. The marketing money dried up overnight. But it also forged a team determined to get Larson to market.

A team coalesces

In the face of financial uncertainty, Mitchell took a chance and continued with production. “We decided to proceed, knowing that the Larson brand was solid and we wanted to contribute to it. We decided to make the investment,” he said.

Larson Vice President Jim Antolik says the agency’s willingness to continue production was “huge.” “The people at Adventure just kept going,” says Antolik. “It was phenomenal.”

Larson Boats dealers had faith in the company too. They continued buying—and selling—boats but funding for the much needed 2010 catalog, an important driver of sales, was delayed and the printing, normally done much earlier, slipped—month by month.

As time passed, the boat show season, a crucial marketing event, drew near. It was already half way through the model year and the dealers had no marketing materials—catalogs were badly needed.

Time was short

About the same time, the Genmar reorganization was proceeding, a sale was nearing consummation and marketing money started to trickle out. But deadlines were tight.

“GLS was terrific too,” says Larson’s Antolik. “They worked with us to make things happen quickly. When we got the go-ahead, our Account Executive, Gary Alderman, came up with a plan and about a week later we were on press!”

It wasn’t easy, but teamwork made it happen.

Moving swiftly

According to Alderman, the call came in on Monday, December 14. “It was a ‘go’ and they wanted completed catalogs on a truck heading to the Toronto boat show fast. They gave me files the next day and we gave the agency Fuji proofs one day later.”

The proofs were reviewed and plates were made on the 18th and the job was on press the 24th. When the catalogs came off the press, Alderman personally drove them to Larson’s headquarters in Little Falls, Minnesota, where he helped Antolik load them for the trip to Toronto.

And the product was gorgeous!

In fact, Adventure’s Larson catalog won a Gold Addy, one of the advertising industry’s most prestigious awards. If you ask the people involved, they’ll tell you it was the teamwork that made it happen.

“Our dealers were ecstatic,” said Antolik. “They got it just as the boat shows opened…and without Adventure and GLS it wouldn’t have happened.” Scott Mitchell put it another way: “In this economy there’s opportunity in finding loyal partners who will give you extra value. I think we and GLS did that with Larson. In order to be successful today you have to work much harder. So it’s important to find the right partners to make it easier.”

Are you looking for a partner with the ability to offer innovative solutions and strong fulfillment capabilities? To find out how GLS Companies can help, contact an account executive today. To learn more about the Adventure Creative Group visit them at: www.adventureadvertising.com. More on Larson Boats can be found at www.larsonboats.com.