Water Works Wonders (TM): First Ever-National Campaign Promoting Recreational Boating, Fishing and Stewardship

4/23/2001

Contact:

4/23/2001 -- -- Contact:
Kirk Gillis, Communications Manager, RBFF, 703-519-0013
Katherine Nicol, Equals Three Communications, 301-272-2450

April 23, 2001…Alexandria, Virginia…The Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation (RBFF) has launched the first ever-national campaign dedicated to creating awareness of the many benefits of recreational boating and fishing and the importance of environmental stewardship. Water Works Wonders (TM) is designed to increase angler and boater participation by positioning boating and fishing as unmatched leisure activities for true connection with family, friends and the natural environment.

"Special things happen when people boat and fish together. This campaign powerfully communicates this with an emotionally compelling message," said Bruce Matthews, RBFF President and CEO. "We are providing our industry and state/federal agency partners with the tools they need to capitalize on the excitement generated by this national effort."

The Water Works Wonders campaign includes a number of components such as:

A series of television, radio and print advertisements. The television ads will premiered on CBS during the NCAA men's Basketball Tournament and will continue to air during Major League Baseball broadcasts on FOX Sports Network. Print ads will appear in national publications including Sports Illustrated, Parade, National Geographic, Popular Mechanics, Boating, and Field & Stream.
http://www.WaterWorksWonders.org [1], a state of the art Web site, will make it easy for new or returning anglers and boaters to find out how and where to boat and fish, as well as provide tips for protecting our nation's aquatic resources.
National Fishing and Boating Week, a hands-on national public awareness effort, to be held from June 1-10. The national kick-off will take place in Washington, D.C. and events are scheduled throughout the week in communities across the country. RBFF recently distributed a National Fishing and Boating Week Event Planning Kit, a step-by-step guide to hosting an event, to its stakeholders throughout the country. For information about local and regional events or to download event planning kit materials, visit http://www.NationalFishingandBoatingWeek.org [2]
To help potential corporate and agency partners effectively promote and utilize the Water Works Wonders "brand," RBFF has designed a Cooperative Marketing Kit. This kit includes all of the tools needed to effectively incorporate Water Works Wonders into a corporate or organizational marketing plan, including the Water Works Wonders logo, tips for working with the media, and exclusive access to Water Works Wonders advertising and promotional materials. To obtain a cooperative marketing kit, please visit http://www.rbff.org [3] and click on "National Campaign Products."

"Increasing awareness of recreational boating, fishing, and stewardship broadens the customer base for our corporate partners, builds support for federal and state programs, and increases revenue for our state agencies through license sales, boat registrations and Sport Fish Restoration funds," said Tom Bedell, CEO of Pure Fishing and Chairman of the RBFF Board of Directors. "By implementing the tools in the Cooperative Marketing Kit, our program partners can take advantage of all of

Date: 4/23/2001