A Fisher family crest on a crimson cover boldly greets bike dealers and their customers. The 52-page publication opens with tales from the creator himself, Gary Fisher, "the first and last name in mountain biking." Photo essays and articles include a profile of the International Mountain Biking Association and its trails, a hands-on snapshot of Greg Watts' 3D talents, a visual chronology leading to the new G2 Geometry, followed by product spreads, technical features and details.

With its inspirational representation of the mountain biking lifestyle, FISH 3.0 is one part of an entertaining, educational annual collection of printed materials, interactive training tools, videos, films, online and in-store graphics that Planet has developed for Gary Fisher's 2007 bike line. This autumn's launch marks their fifth sales season together.

Among the season's hottest items is the new HiFi model with G2 Geometry. "Gary Fisher introduced his original Genesis Geometry in 1997, which riders came to call the 'Famous Fisher Feel.' Genesis 2, or G2, is its evolution," says Planet Propaganda's president Rob Sax. "Fisher changed the bike's geometry to improve handling at all speeds, especially around slow, tight, twisty turns. It keeps everything that was good about Genesis, and makes it better."

FISH 3.0 simply, visually explains G2's complex geometry and philosophy, while defining it as a major development in the timeline of mountain bike design. "We use the catalog to show the bikes not just as a products, but as part of the culture they've come to represent. Beyond this, we want to break from what's been done before and show a bike, a rider, a trail -- everything we can -- from a new angle," emphasizes Planet's designer David Taylor.

As examples, Taylor notes that a retrospective on Gary Fisher doesn't begin with him building a better bike to race down Mt. Tamalpais; it starts when he's five-years-old. Greg Watts' "insane tricks" do more than jump off the page; his back flip was shot from six sides and can be cut out to form a 3D cube. Even the icons designed to help riders choose the best bike for their needs pokes fun at stereotypes with mohawks, mullets and unicorns. "We don't take things too seriously," says Taylor. "Fisher is about having fun, being playful and enjoying the ride."

"We go to great lengths to honestly capture that culture and the living, breathing soul behind it," adds Sax. "With every element in the catalog and in the entire campaign, our challenge is to stay true to the standards, values and personality that Gary Fisher established long ago. At the heart of the brand are the bike and the hard work that goes into making them. It was that way when Gary built the first Klunker, and it's still that way today with HiFi."


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