Gunmakers Battle ‘Trump Slump’ With a Softer Sales Pitch

Blackhawk, a maker of firearms accessories and protective gear, was one of the companies that has moved away from macho branding.

“The whole skull-and-crossbones and lightning bolts and all that kind of stuff, you don’t see that very much anymore,” Joshua Waldron, the company’s president, said at the show. “It’s about figuring out a way to change the narrative to where it’s not so focused on tactical or that aggressive side of things, but to be like, ‘It’s a responsible thing to do, to protect yourself.’”

An ad for the Thompson/Center Compass II Compact rifle in a recent issue of Field Stream reflects the changed strategy. It features a man and young boy clad in camouflage, gazing at each other while standing in the woods. The rifle, slung over the boy’s shoulder, is at the edge of the image.

Jeremy Flinn, whose Stone Road Media marketing agency works with firearms and accessories companies like Roam Rifles and Thril, said his goal was to “put a better face in front of people.” He added that his “biggest fear” would be “scaring off that new person.”

That means less blood in advertisements featuring hunters, who are described in marketing materials as “harvesting” animals, rather than “killing” them. Models are shown wearing eye and ear protection, and fewer advertising images include the military-style rifles associated with mass shootings.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/23/business/media/guns-sales-advertising-strategy.html