When You Buy A Dorsett Boat, You Get A Tiger?

Dorest brochure

Yesterday on ebay, we saw this brochure for sale, the listing is over now, but didn’t have any bids. SHOCK!  Anyway, what stood out was the generous use of a white tiger. Now I have been in marketing a long, long time, 34 years.. In ad agency years that centuries. And for the life of me, I can not understand the need? Really, how did the creative team sell a tiger thing? Why would the creative team even try? There are Mad Men, and then there are Mad as in insane men… And to boot it’s a very nice illustration, so the artist was in on it to. The only thing I can think of, is when you own a Dorsett you have a tiger by the tail? But she has it on a leash? And its a rare white tiger, like in Vegas, did some one say Sigfried or Roy?

no comment, no really, I don’t have a thing to say!

OK it’s official, we have jumped the shark when we are linking Sigfried and Roy.. is there anything to talk about.. Oh wait.. Dorsett boats.. If you want more info, the good folks at Fiberclassics have an entire page referencing them, and no Tigers.

One of the normal illustrations in the brochure? The tiger was no where to be found.. maybe the tiger is a metaphor for the outdrive? Its white and goes,Grrrrr?

So your challenge today “Lucy” is to PLEASE “splain” the tiger thing! No really? Anyone know anyone from Dorsett back in the day? They are easy to find, they are the ones with Tiger bites all over them!

Brochure art insert. Really, This is on a page in the brochure. A white tiger.. Tigers like to swim? maybe that’s it?

/33 Comments/by
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33 replies
  1. Warren
    Warren says:

    What year was the brochure?
    Pontiac used a tiger in it’s adds back in the mid 1960’s for it’s GTO muscle car.
    One of the gas company’s ,ESSO, also advertised “put a tiger in your tank” about the same era and gave away fake tiger tails to attach to gas fills on cars

    • Matt
      Matt says:

      Oh Warren, trying to be logical I see! Actually you are right, I recall back then Tigers being a metaphor of power. Dang! Why not boats? I can see some guy at Dorsett loving his GTO, and thus had a deep relationship with his Esso, or Exxon station. The ebay listing said 1960’s.. Feels late 60’s to be honest, and the logo is not the round red logo as in the early 60’s.

  2. Steve Moreau
    Steve Moreau says:

    I’m not even gonna touch this one! Nope not even gonna try, For one I’ll do as the Shackbully tells me to and keep my mouth shut!!

    but I do have just one question if I may! Didn’t that white tiger eat those two overly tan lover boys? And what do you thing made him, or they did to him that would make him want to eat the overly crispy pair?

  4. Texx
    Texx says:

    I believe this is a 1962 Dorsett Seahawk 19′ which utilized jet propulsion. Awesome styling for the era, and Dorset claimed in the brochure it drove like a car… (Sorry – no tiger)

  5. William Hammond
    William Hammond says:

    Maybe they were secretly fans of the Detroit Tigers? But then why use a White Tiger? Perhaps they were trying to make an analogy to their boats, they’re rare and the height of luxury?

  6. Texx
    Texx says:

    And from the early 1960’s a nice looking Dorsett pocket cruiser with an I/O. Not sure what they are shooting at – Possibly a tiger or the girls husband…

    • t
      t says:

      Texx they are shooting skeet. The guy in the stern has a hand held clay pigeon thrower. Odd sport for boating. I shot skeet of the fantail for a cruise ship once though.

  9. Texx
    Texx says:

    Matt – Look through the models in that 1965 Dorsett brochure. One of the largest Dorsett (flagship) boats offered from 1965 to 1967 was the 18′ El Tigre.

    So maybe what that lady has on the leash is the 4-legged (furry) version of the El Tigre as some sort of marketing gimmick… (Just a guess)

  10. Matt
    Matt says:

    Dang! OK, Here is a looooong shot.. Raymond Loewy designed the early Dorsetts, and he also designed the new Exxon Logo, along with other amazing stuff. And Exxon used the Tiger in your tank stuff?

  11. Matt
    Matt says:

    Looked for some copy in the brochure, its hard to read, but they do make a reference. Its still bat ship crazy, but it is an attempt to connect the two. It still begs the question, why a tiger?

  12. Troy in ANE
    Troy in ANE says:

    Hi Gang:

    We had a storm on Wednesday so I was without power for the last two days. HAPPY BELATED THANKSGIVING!

    I am thankful for all of you and for the storm that turned a 5+ hour drive into a quiet day of tending the wood stove while catching up on old Rudder and Brass Bell issues.

    Cooked Thanksgiving dinner on the grill. It was GREAT! (Oh and by the way that is a Tony the Tiger reference.)

    Even today Lord sings about “Tigers on a Gold Leash”.

  17. Mike W
    Mike W says:

    Siberian Tigers were a big part of Chrysler Marine marketing in 1979. They had them at all the shows but the cubs were primarily the ones out and about. Of course in 1980 we know what happened to Chrysler, the first time, and Chrysler Marine.

  19. matt
    matt says:

    The more I look, Tiger paw tires, Sunbeam Tiger, Tiger Tanks, Tiger airplane.. Even a flying Tiger sailboat. OK that one just does not make sense.

  24. Dick Dow
    Dick Dow says:

    The Homelite shown is an early version – ’62 shroud – so that may be an indicator as to the year of the brochure.

    Dorsett produced some very nice boats in the late 50’s. They are some of the more sought-after models in the Fiberglassics world.

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