Captain Experiences hooks viewers with new national ad campaign

Captain Experiences, a TechNexus portfolio company that specializes in booking fishing and hunting excursions, is telling their story to a whole new set of eyes and ears as they debut “Damn Good Guides” in a national TV ad campaign.

Starting this week, the campaign is set to stream across Sinclair Broadcast Group’s network and hit major events such as the Daytona 500, Genesis Invitational and LIV Golf Adelaide. This multi-month effort will also see placements in other highly coveted TV spots within NASCAR, PGA Tour, March Madness and MLB baseball.

Mercurius Media Capital, a media-for-capital fund focused on providing startups with market share in a competitive digital media landscape, invested $1.5 million in the company’s storytelling efforts last fall. The ad features Captain Experiences co-founders Jonathan Newar and Attison Barnes tumbling through a disastrous fishing trip. It’s relatable. It’s funny, and it would never happen on a trip made possible through Captain Experiences.

“Damn Good Guides is the true story behind Captain Experiences,” Newar said. “We’re tossing a lifeline to those who’ve been in the same boat — frustrated with planning the perfect trip. That’s exactly why we built Captain — to make every day on the water count.”

Ever since Captain Experiences's inception in 2020, they’ve been seeing growing demand, Newar said. In just five years, the platform now features 750 destinations nationwide with thousands of quality, vetted guide offerings to choose from across fishing, hunting and beyond.

Newar and Barnes’ performance in the ad not only captures the value of Captain Experiences but also their everlasting passion for the outdoors. This passion is what founded Captain Experiences and what fuels its rapid growth now.

“These are really life defining experiences that people are having outdoors,” Newar said. “When you think about it, it checks off all these different boxes — getting out in nature, breathing fresh air, connecting with animals and also spending time with family and friends. When you’re outdoors, the laptop screen is shut, you’re not on Zoom, your phone is in the lockbox or in a backpack. Those are really meaningful times.”