In sportfishing, the buying power used to live with the boat builders. Now it lives with the captains, owners, and die-hards who want their vessel dialed in from day one. Caterpillar pivoted to start connecting directly with this audience. These are people who aren’t just shopping for performance stats—they’re chasing something more intangible. The trip, the ritual, the camaraderie. Caterpillar needed to connect directly with this audience.

Fishing is slow, on purpose. It’s early mornings, long stretches of open water, and hours around the same deck of people. We saw an opportunity to make the campaign more tangible—something that could live in those in-between moments and deepen the experience.

We created a custom deck of Caterpillar “Go Fish” playing cards. Each card is illustrated with saltwater species or Cat Marine engines. A simple object with a clear purpose: connection. No gimmicks, no landfill swag. Just a sharp, useful giveaway that became a hot commodity on boats, in beach houses, and at every show it touched. Every deck was taken. These cards won an AMA Crystal Award, a Gold Addy for Branded Content, and a Best in Show Addy for Print.