The Client

British Marine is the trade association for the UK leisure, superyacht and small commercial marine industry. Each year they organise the Southampton International Boat Show (SIBS), which is the place to be for serious boat buyers, watersports enthusiasts & families, with plenty of opportunities to get out on the water.

The Challenge

The brief from British Marine was clear. We needed to:

  • Build a safety awareness campaign to promote the use of wearing buoyancy aids, personal flotation devices and lifejackets whilst on the water
  • Positively contribute to the conversation around water safety and #RespectTheWater
  • Broaden the appeal of watersports and getting out on the water by creating an event that would allow British Marine to access new audiences 
  • Encourage people to buy tickets and visit the Southampton International Boat Show

The Result

The Result was Aqua Bootcamp. Here’s how we got there:

Phase 1 – Strategy & Recruitment 

  • Carried out immersion sessions and strategy workshops with British Marine’s leadership team, where we collectively defined the audience personas, the proposition and identified new opportunities for British Marine to leverage other people’s resources and engage new audiences
  • Created the campaign identity ‘Aqua Bootcamp’ aimed at getting people out on the water to try out all the latest watersports, safely
  • Recruited a broad spectrum of 31 influencers, including people who were already into fitness and the outdoors – e.g. trail runners, mountain bikers and wild swimmers, as well as those who are open to new and memorable experiences and also may have grown up on, or around the water
  • Ran an awareness competition via Instagram with an opportunity to join the influencers and attend the exclusive Aqua Bootcamp watersports day

Phase 2 – The Big Event ‘Aqua Bootcamp’

  • Hosted the event at the OTC watersports centre in Weymouth, which was located right on the water’s edge and the perfect Insta worthy location to encourage UGC 
  • Gave out goodie bags with everything guests needed for the day, including; OceanR rash vests, LifeJacket skin protection, OverBoard waterproof phone cases and Slowtide ponchos 
  • Led watersports sessions, including; SUPing, kayaking, windsurfing, wingfoiling & fliteboarding, with tips from world class athletes
  • Hosted safety Q&A session with British Olympic Snowboarder, Billy Morgan
  • Secured world class partners who supported with entertainment, experiences and product on the day and helped to maximise reach and broaden watersports appeal by sharing content. Partners included Red Bull, Dometic, BrewDog, Feel Good Drinks & FacePlant sunglasses
  • Film crew documented the day and generated ‘real-time’ content and photos for influencers & partners to share immediately after the event

Phase 3 – Southampton International Boat Show

  • Created a discount promo code for influencers and partners to share via social to generate SIBS ticket sales 
  • Secured influencers and VIPs to visit SIBS, sharing their experiences and encouraging safety on the water via social

Key Social Media Metrics

850,000+

INFLUENCER REACH

145,982

GRID / REEL VIEWS

372,335

STORY VIEWS

”"Amazing day, super impressed with everything from the organisation to the food, entertainment and how everything flowed! I've done a couple of events similar to this and by far this is the best!! We all had a blast!!"

@Gab.outdoors

”"As an agency who is so passionate about the outdoors and getting out on the water, this really was the dream brief. Seeing people taking themselves out of their comfort zone and trying out new experiences on the water, with giant smiles on their faces, really was a career high. Sharing our passion and seeing others getting so much out of it is why we do what we do!"

Kate SmetanaSenior Account Manager – Brandwave

”"Such a well put together day, with a great bunch of people. Really appreciate the invite and being able to try out some of the activities I probably wouldn't have otherwise!”

@lisa.outdoors

”“The team at Brandwave just get it! They understood the brief, think creatively, bring real energy, are well connected and can be trusted to deliver. Everything about this campaign has been phenomenal, from the planning, branding and messaging to delivering the day itself and following up.”

Adrien BurnandHead of Communications & Marketing – British Marine