Together with Keep the Archipelago Tidy Association, Rapala VMC launched a campaign to inspire anglers to roll up their sleeves and pick up the litter found in their favorite fishing spots – but not before taking a photo with the catch.
Smile for the camera! As many know – especially those who have been to Tinder – anglers really like posing with the catch. (Perhaps it has to do with all the tall tales anglers have told in times before the camera.) During the summer of 2022, a number of unorthodox fishing pictures started circulating on social media channels. Photos not with fish, but with trash and rubbish.
Launched on the 8th of June, World Oceans Day, the Catch & Recycle campaign is Rapala VMC’s and Keep the Archipelago Tidy Association’s collaborative campaign that encourages anglers, outdoor enthusiasts, and influencers to lend nature a helping hand. Inspired by the posing-with-the-fish trope, we challenged people to pick up and properly dispose of some of the miscellaneous trash found on our riverbanks, lakesides, and shorelines – but first, take a picture with it. Until September 2022, each month’s best catch is rewarded with a gift bag full of Rapala’s best picks.
Inspired by the work that Keep the Archipelago Tidy Association has been doing for years, the campaign is a continuation of the partnership between Rapala VMC and the Association – while also being an implementation of the fishing tackle company’s ambitious sustainability strategy. With the Catch & Recycle campaign, we’re following the map laid out in our EcoChoice Program: collaborate with NGOs to advance sustainability while using our platform as the industry’s top player to raise awareness about the state of our waters.
With the collaboratively planned campaign, our goal was to reach especially the younger generations of anglers on social media to deliver the call to arms in the fight against littering, pollution, and garbage accumulation. And based on the response received by the Association, the administrator of the campaign, the message has been heard – loud and clear. In addition to the positive feedback the campaign has received, we’ve seen several influencers take on the challenge. Among the participants have been the movie star (and enthusiastic angler) Tommi Korpela, outdoor influencer Viivi Matinlompolo, and angling influencers Henna Lindroos and Otto Chickoracki.
”When angling, you can catch a whole lot of things – and unfortunately, it’s not all fish. At times, the amount of trash that can be found in the waters and beaches is unbelievable! The Catch & Recycle campaign has been a wonderful way of turning the situation upside down: it’s been great to get rid of all that rubbish, and taking that trophy picture with a heap of rubbish on its way to the trash bin has been fun and empowering,”
Henna Lindroos, angling influencer & spokesperson
Seeing the success the Catch & Recycle campaign has enjoyed, we’re feeling confident about the campaign’s future – which could entail implementing the campaign into an international context. As with our Lure Recycle Campaign that has been going on in the summers of -21 and -22, sustainability campaigns have become an integral part of Rapala VMC’s actions – and we intend to keep it that way.
