The following article was published on the wire services for the week of May 03, 1954. It appeared in the Fort Pierce News-Tribune, among many other places, and discussed the novel "blitz" marketing campaign of Jim Bryan, creator of the "Jim Bo" fishing lure. It was a novel way to make a splash, but I think that it was fairly short lived as the lure was not around for a long period of time...
NEW FISHING LURE MADE IN FLORIDA MEETS WITH POPULARITY
Claiming the title of "World's fastest-selling fishing lure" is a shiny, lifelike bit of plastic and steel called JIM BO. Inventor Jim Bryan, of Largo, Fla., reports sales at the rate of two a minute, 24 hours a day, and still increasing as the fishing season approaches in northern states.
JIM BO's skyrocket career began this January during the supposedly "dead" mail order period following Christmas. Advertisements for JIM BO were placed in almost every daily newspaper in the nation, a technique new to the fishing tackle industry. Although such magazines as Life, American Weekly, Saturday Evening Post, Popular Mechanics, and all the "outdoor" magazines have been used since, Bryan still considers newspaper advertising the most important.
Reports are pouring In from fishermen in those areas where the fishing season has started. According to these letters, JIM BO has caught almost every kind of fresh or suit water fish, from pan fish to giant snook. Testimonials are usually accompanied by an order for several more JIM BO's--many fishermen ordering all eight colors.
The Jim Bo is a neat lure but not a very valuable one. But from the stand point of marketing, it was one of the earliest of the mass newspaper blitz advertising lures, and deserves a small place in fishing history for it!
-- Dr. Todd
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