Around 200 people die in British and Irish waters each year.

Currently, men aged between 18 and 39 make up over two thirds of that number.

The RNLI's aim was to see that number halved.

They approached us to find a solution to speak to a difficult to reach and even harder to influence demographic, encouraging them to Respect The Water.

In order to stand a chance of making a meaningful impact with the audience we had to find a credible platform that they trusted and wouldn't ignore but with consideration for the heritage of the RNLI.

The answer was working with LadBible to create three short documentaries in a tone of voice that would resonate with their audience.

They tell relatable, real-life stories of young men with first hand experience of how dangerous not respecting the water can be.

These films played out during a summer long activity, supported by reactive editorial on LadBible's social channels.

Results:

These films became RNLI’s most successful awareness campaign of all time.

"Respect the water" was also Lad Bible's most successful branded campaign that year.

The reach has exceeded 4.2 million views on Lad Bible’s Facebook page to date - with more than 40,000 shares, likes and reactions, and 3,000 comments. 

The sentiment was overwhelmingly positive. Many tagged their friends to warn of dangers, helping the RNLI save more lives around the coast.

Awards:

The films won both Gold and "Best of the best" at the Brand Film Festival with judges remarking that they were: "Powerful and perfect for the intended audience".

"Highly Commended" The Drum Content Awards

Webby Awards - Official Honoree

3 x Vimeo Staff Pick