F.Y.I.

Media Words appointed to lead Fisherman’s Friend media account

November 10, 2025 11:12

Media Words has won Fisherman’s Friend’s media account and has served up a campaign for the brand.

The announcement:

Media Words, an independent media consultancy, has been appointed to lead the Fisherman’s Friend media account, kicking things off with a bold campaign that repositions the brand for a new generation.

The world famous Fisherman’s Friend has been around since 1865, after James Lofthouse, a pharmacist from the small port town of Fleetwood in northwest England, developed a formula to soothe the sore throats of fishermen in the area. The original licorice, eucalyptus and menthol lozenge has since expanded to 15 flavours, and the family-owned business now produces five billion lozenges annually. It is still owned by the Lofthouse family.

The challenge for the brand today is to attract a younger audience by convincing them that Fisherman’s Friend is ‘their’ brand too. The campaign shakes off the idea that it’s “just for the oldies” and reframes it around what the product really delivers: instant freshness.

Media Words founder, Elise Hedley Dale, saw the original creative as an opportunity to push harder.

“I saw a chance to bend the message and take it somewhere unexpected. I tapped The Reactor — the creative partners I trust — and they developed the ‘Friends with Benefits’ creative concept. That’s the strength of Media Words: we bring in the right people, keep media and creative working hand in hand, and deliver work that stands out,” she said.

“The result is a campaign that stands out with bold out-of-home and digital placements, smart use of influencer content, and creative that’s been pushed just far enough to stand out.”

The creative execution began with an influencer-led idea designed to generate fresh, shareable content — and then extended into the broader campaign. At its heart is the message that Fisherman’s Friend is your ‘reliably intense’ friend who always delivers a satisfying blast. No awkward introductions, no strings attached — just pure, unadulterated refreshment when you need it most. It’s a “friends with benefits” situation for your senses: instant satisfaction, no complications. The tone is cheeky, playful, and designed to land with younger audiences while staying true to the brand’s intense heritage.

Authenticity was key to attract a younger audience and having content that tied influencers directly into the campaign ensured the message landed with credibility and relevance, helping reframe the brand for a new generation without alienating its loyal base.

Influencer and content creation sits with the Media Words team, because Hedley Dale believes this creates the opportunity to use content from social platforms in non-digital formats such as rock posters. For Hedley Dale, ensuring creative is fit for the format is critical — something too often overlooked when teams chase impressions and forget the role of the medium itself.

The national campaign launches with a multi-format out-of-home rollout, spanning digital large format, static rail cross-track, and rock posters, supported by digital and social activity. The mix is deliberate; using high-reach formats to stay front of mind with long-time loyalists, high-dwell placements in commuter hubs where audiences engage with the message, and media sites that resonate with younger audiences — from music precincts and entertainment districts through to social feeds — ensuring Fisherman’s Friend connects across generations.

Sophie Leach from Stuart Alexander & Co, the official distributor for Fisherman’s Friend in Australia, said: “The challenge our brand is facing is recruiting the next generation of consumers. From our consumer research, brand awareness is high but the main reason Australians don’t buy Fisherman’s Friend is that they think it’s a strong lozenge and a brand for older people.

“We chose to partner with Media Words because they provided a digital forward approach and a modern media mix. The creative flexibility via the influencer-led storytelling is perfect for reshaping perceptions, a real opportunity to craft a breakthrough message and balance pull versus push in a more relatable way. It also gives us room to creatively reposition our Mint flavour without alienating current users.”

Media Words operates on an “Inner Circle” approach — tapping vetted specialists rather than pretending to master everything in-house. The consultancy does what it does best and is honest about what it doesn’t. No juniors learning on client budgets, just senior expertise on the tools every day, supported by trusted independents — creative, PR, SEO, content, and influencers — brought in when needed. Top talent, no bloated overheads.

“The result is campaigns that prove that when the right team sits at the same table, brands get noticed,” Hedley Dale said.