DAILY UPDATE
Federal’s Influencer Army
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ince the dawn of modern advertising, companies have used celebrities to endorse their products—everything from athletes promoting soda to actors pushing insurance. It’s usually a little hollow and transparent, but when you’re talking about products that put food on the table, win gold medals, and save lives in self-defense situations, endorsement takes on a whole different meaning. That’s why Federal Ammunition puts so much emphasis on its team of influencers and brand ambassadors. Although terms like those for these individuals are relatively new, the practice goes back to Federal’s earliest days, when it relied on good shooters to spread the word on its products. The brand’s current group of ambassadors, who come from backgrounds ranging from hunting and self-defense to competitive and recreational shooting, carry on that same mission.
Federal's Casey Reed isn’t just a Grand Master competition shooter in USPSA; he’s also a full-time ammunition engineer with Federal, carrying on a long tradition of employees who make ammo and know how to use it.
BLASTS FROM THE PAST
One of the earliest examples of this legacy is Federal employee Dave Yeager. He won the 1958 Professional World Skeet Championship using Federal shotshells and was proudly promoted by the brand. A World War II veteran, Yaeger served as a sales promotion manager and paved the way for ambassadors to come. In the 1970s, exhibition shooter Tom Frye performed feats using Federal rimfire ammo. His best-known trick was “drawing” artwork and writing messages on sheets of metal using a .22 rifle. He also established a world record for hitting all but six of 100,000 hand-thrown wooden blocks over 13 days with a .22. Launi Meili and Bob Foth won gold and silver medals at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics shooting then brand-new Federal Gold Medal UltraMatch .22. That trend continued in 1996, when Josh Lakatos and Lance Bade won silver and bronze medals in men’s trap at the Atlanta games. The late Tom Knapp was another standout. The worldrenowned exhibition shooter held three world records for clay shooting. In 2004, Knapp dusted 10 hand-thrown clay targets with 10 different rounds in just 2.2 seconds. He also hosted Benelli’s American Birdhunter TV show for eight seasons.
THE COMPETITION CIRCUIT
Competitive shooting is as popular now as ever, and Federal has top shooters in all disciplines representing the brand around the world—from trap, skeet, and sporting clays to action pistol and precision rifle. Casey Reed is a unique example. He isn’t just a Grand Master competition shooter in USPSA; he’s also a full-time ammunition engineer with Federal, carrying on a long tradition of employees who make ammo and know how to use it. Joining Reed are greats including Krystal Dunn, Josh Froelich, and Julie Golob. Golob has amassed 50 national and world titles in her shooting career. She is also the first and only woman to win U.S. national titles in all seven of practical shooting’s handgun divisions. Another proven competitor in the Federal ranks is Jim Gilliland, a retired 20-year Army veteran who puts his skills and experience to work as a top longrange shooter.
Federal ambassadors cleaned up at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Kayle Browning won a silver medal in women’s trap.
14 ❚ SHOT BUSINESS DAILY ❚ DAY 1, JANUARY 23, 2024
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12/18/23 11:20 AM