NARROWBOAT WIDENS MESSAGE

One of our charity partners is the Canal & River Trust (CRT). Our partnership began not long after we opened our doors in 2003, back then they were known as British Waterways.

We were recently approached by the CRT West Midlands Waterways team with an unusual brief… They needed a narrow boat to be “branded up” to promote the charity at an event taking place in Birmingham city centre.

The event was the Local Government Association Annual Conference taking place at the International Convention Centre (ICC). The boat was to be moored on the Birmingham Canal Old Line that runs alongside the ICC. The intention was to speak to delegates during break out sessions to promote the work of CRT and the importance of inland waterways to communities.

In order for CRT to grab the attention of delegates we “floated” the idea of bringing their Annual Review to life. A series of impactful graphics highlighting important facts and figures that would serve as conversation pieces to entice delegates into the boat to find out more. CRT loved our idea and this is what we did…

We started by meeting with CRT and the boat’s owner, not only did we have to think about the creative, we also had to consider a way of producing the graphics that would not harm the boat, which provides tours of Birmingham’s canal network. To ensure we had the best possible solution our “large format” print supplier also joined us.

On measuring the considerable amount of glass and available area the obvious answer was to use graphics produced on low-tac vinyl. This way we would create the desired brand impression without leaving any lasting impressions on the boat’s paintwork or glass.

Working to strict measurements and CRT brand guidelines we created a series of graphics to cover all available space. Our designs were a mix of infographics and statements with accompanying images.

The deadline for the entire project was extremely tight, with limited time available for installation and removal of the graphics due to the boat being booked for tours. We’re delighted to say the entire project went swimmingly, everybody loved the boat and CRT representatives spent valuable time with high-ranking local government officials.

Canal & River Trust Marketing Manager, Nicky Lister commented… ‘Thank you Greensquare for the great job on the LGA boat – it looks great, very eye catching and impactful.’