Client: Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection
Industry: Government

Joe Coastal Boater Brands Boating Safety

The Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection launched a new Coastal Boater Endorsement Program to recognize boaters who have completed courses in traditional plotting and navigation techniques. Boaters who complete the course receive a Coastal Boater Endorsement decal to place on their Safe Boating Certificate or Certificate of Personal Watercraft Operation.

The DEP Boating Safety Division tapped Akins to develop the statewide marketing effort to promote this Advanced Boating Safety campaign. Because of the recreational nature of the program, we wanted the promotion to be fun and created “Joe Coastal Boater,” a motorboat-driving cartoon character complete with required life jacket to act as the campaign brand identity. Joe was then incorporated into a brochure explaining the Coastal Boater Endorsement Program and on an 18 x 24-inch display poster used at the January 2007 Connecticut Boating Show. The brochure won 3rd place at the International Boating Safety Conference in San Antonio in 2007.

We used ‘Joe” to continue branding the boating safety program through black-and-white flyers and smaller color posters for distribution at marinas, fishing and sailing supply stores, and other DEP Boating Division events. Joe Coastal Boater also appeared in ads in boating magazines such as New England Fisherman, WindCheck, Soundings, and Offshore, in radio spots and PSAs on 11 different shoreline stations, and in website banner ads on the DEP website and campaign radio stations. Press releases were also sent out to build public awareness of the Advanced Boating Safety program.