National Safe Boating Week 2007: WEAR IT USA!

2007 North American Safe Boating Campaign Partners Join Forces to Save Lives on the Water

In preparation for the 2007 boating season, the North American Safe Boating Campaign will be launched nationwide during National Safe Boating Week (NSBW) scheduled for May 19 – 25, 2007.  This national campaign launched before the Memorial Day Weekend is designed to promote key boating initiatives with an emphasis on wearing life jackets.

Be a Survivor
To accent national campaign efforts, last year’s highly successful “Be a Survivor!” contest will be held again featuring a national celebrity as the spokesperson.  In 2006, this particular effort resulted in strong campaign visibility as multiple stations across the country aired the public service announcement featuring Survivor star Rudy Boesch, from the popular television series.  More than 400 West Marine stores displayed the “Be a Survivor!” brochure, calling attention to the significance of life jacket wear on the water. 

Launch of a New Initiative
This year a new and exciting element will be introduced to the North American Safe Boating Campaign – one designed to reach boaters with targeted marketing initiatives right in their own communities. The pilot location chosen for this initiative is California’s Sacramento Delta region, an area covering more than 738,000 acres criss-crossed by hundreds of miles of waterways, and known for its strong boating activity. In addition to the campaign producers, the National Safe Boating Council (NSBC) and the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA), this regional campaign (dubbed “Wear It” California) will also utilize the resources and expertise of other partners.  These include the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) U.S. Army Corp of Engineers (USACE), BoatU.S., and the California Department of Boating and Waterways – as well as multiple local organizations and partners to include the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary (USCGAux) and United States Power Squadrons (USPS).

In this first-time multi-collaborative initiative, boating safety partners will pool resources and dollars to host a multi-pronged effort that will include mass media and advertising promotion, as well as more specific marketing activities designed to reach boaters in their homes, at the docks and on the water.

Preliminary plans for the “Wear It!” California initiative include a summer-long “on the water” educational initiative whereby a recreational boat cruises the waterways with each occupant wearing a life jacket.  As the “Wear It!” California Life Jacket Team, they will educate boaters on the importance of not only having a U.S. Coast Guard approved life jacket on board for every person, but putting it on before leaving the dock. The “Team” will demonstrate the newest life jackets on the market. 

Other initiatives included in the “Wear It!” California effort will be the placement of special signage at local marinas, local media stories on the importance of life jacket wear, public service announcements, and other special activities hosted by BoatU.S. specifically designed to reach anglers.  In addition to the California Delta region, the Coast Guard is planning similar initiatives in other regions, in collaboration with state authorities and local volunteers. 

Other important items to look forward to will be electronic distribution of the 2007 North American Safe Boating Campaign Media Kit in mid-February and orders for campaign materials will be accepted in mid-March.  For further information on safe boating or the 2007 campaign, you may call (703) 261-4294 or visit www.safeboatingcampaign.com or www.uscgboating.org.

The North American Safe Boating Campaign is produced by the National Safe Boating Council (NSBC) in partnership with the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) in cooperation with the Canadian Safe Boating Council and the Canadian Coast Guard under a grant from the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating (Wallop-Breux) Trust Fund administered by the U.S. Coast Guard.

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