Freshman Fishing

Freshman Fishing is a project that I built based on my personal experience moving down to the coast. Fishing is a hobby of mine and, in a new city where I knew no one, I wanted to escape and enjoy my hobby. However, I had never ventured into the saltwater arena. Overwhelmed by the cluttered fishing isle and chaotic fishing shops, I wished there was an all-in-one starter kit that wouldn’t break the bank – thus freshman fishing came into existence. In a category where competitors are trying to sell you on the idea of being the “best,” and catching the “biggest,” my goal was to be a safe haven for the little guy who just wanted to try something new.

I wanted to create an encouraging brand with friendly copywriting and provide options for experimentation without overwhelming the user. Colors range widely in the category, so I chose to keep it simple: two relaxing blues, a clean white, and red to catch the eye. I wanted to add some excitement to the packaging and instead of going with a chartreuse color or something else common in the category, I decided to incorporate a fun pattern with elements from the brand. To connect with the young adult audience, I chose a varsity-style typeface they would be familiar with from high school. This choice was important because I didn’t want to sell a child’s kit or belittle the beginner angler. These elements combine to create the all-in-one package I was looking for in the fishing aisle.

Get casting.