Alaska Office of Boating Safety
Behavior Change Campaign Case Study
The Alaska Department of Natural Resources, Office of Boating Safety selected Walsh|Sheppard to refresh the long-standing public education and “Pledge to Live” campaign in an effort to increase life jacket usage among adult male recreational boaters in Alaska and educate the public about the risks of cold water immersion related drowning. The target audience was primarily Alaska adult male recreational boat owners. In a variety of media including TV, the message aimed to change misperceptions about life jacket use and the risks of drowning in Alaska’s cold, harsh waters. We worked closely with OBS staff to inform media strategies, execute the media plan and earned media opportunities, and conduct the post-campaign evaluation. FY17 evaluation data showed greater than 80 percent unaided message recall.