Share the Love. Share the Poster.
Patagonia Fly Fish releases “We Stand for the Water We Stand In” poster.
Blend one part wild fish and water activism, one part poster art, and add a generous splash of leading-edge design: The result is Patagonia’s new shareable poster, “We Stand for the Waters We Stand In.”
A collaboration between The Young Jerks, a Brooklyn, New York-based design studio, and Patagonia Fly Fish, the poster combines the urgent message of the Patagonia Fly Fish rallying cry “We Stand for the Waters We Stand In” with the immediacy, energy and feel-good vibe of a concert poster. The artwork is both printable and shareable on social media.
“It’s our job to inspire, educate and support a broad-based community of fish activists,” said Ted Manning, Patagonia’s director of fly fishing. “Patagonia’s mission is to save our home planet, and for us, specifically, to fight for wild fish and wild waters. We’re constantly searching for innovative ways to get that message across. We wanted creativity and spirit, and we wanted it out before the upcoming election because the stakes are so high.”
“It's impossible not to feel the urge to help when you see the world on fire every day.”
The poster’s proclamation, “We Stand for the Waters We Stand In,” is inspired by a Wendell Berry poem titled “Below.” Berry, known for his longstanding activism and an inspiring, prolific body of work, writes:
All my dawns cross the horizon
and rise, from underfoot.
What I stand for
is what I stand on.
“We really hope that our take, ‘We Stand for the Waters We Stand In,’ will resonate and inspire anglers to activism,” added Manning. “It’s a simple message, but it’s powerful. It works hand in hand with Patagonia’s ongoing “It’s All Home Water” storytelling, emphasizing our commitment to support anglers who are fighting to ensure a future that includes wild fish and wild waters.”
The design recalls the supersaturated colors and the retro-kitsch aesthetic of midcentury modern graphic design. “There is a warmth to old fishing ephemera that everyone who worked on this responded to,” said Dan Cassaro of The Young Jerks. “Combining that with the immediacy and importance of a political poster felt like an exciting mix. It’s impossible to not feel the urge to help when you see the world on fire every day.”