Marketing Gimmicks

What Does Legal Sea Foods Have in Common With Jesus and Brokeback Mountain?

Highly evolved advertising?
Highly evolved advertising? Photo: The Boston Globe

A lot, apparently. The Boston-based seafood empire has rolled out a new line of ads that feature attempted murder, Jesus fish, and Brokeback-style romance. The Boston Globe reports that a centerpiece of the advertising blitz is a shot of “two fishermen together on a secluded beach who get closer to each other as the hours pass until one man turns to the other and asks: ‘Have you seen Brokeback Mountain?’” The point, of course, is that it takes forever to catch your own fish and that it’s much easier to just go to Legal. Or maybe that it’s the perfect place to begin a new romance with someone who enjoys dated movie references!

Another ad features a father throwing his daughter from a boat after several hours at sea. Meanwhile, Jesus fish with the word Legal inside are appearing on cabs throughout the city and will go national soon. Because, after all, a meal at Legal is a near-religious experience. The chowder is, anyway.

Quirky CEO Roger Berkowitz, never one to shy from controversy or a good sandwich, says he’s not trying to “offend” anybody. Which is probably true: If he wanted to do that, he would’ve rerun the 2008 ads where he compared subway drivers’ faces to halibut.

Legal Sea Foods Features a Jesus fish and Brokeback Mountain in Its New Advertising [Globe]
Quit Crabbing [Globe]

Earlier: Legal Seafoods CEO Knows More Than Science
Legal Sea Foods CEO Hit Rock Bottom at the Carnegie Deli

What Does Legal Sea Foods Have in Common With Jesus and Brokeback