Float to live

  • 4 live reports into BBC Breakfast including their reporter going into the sea to be taught how best to float at Boscombe Beach near Bournemouth
  • ITV's regional news hub crew then filming a similar package which ran on 12 news programmes in six different ITV regions
  • Almost five minute-package on Channel 5 News
  • One of the best, most impactful interviews on 5 Live Breakfast we’ve ever set up (and we’ve set up hundreds over the years)
  • 24 other radio interviews via our OB by the beach – mostly live and mostly into BBC local stations
  • Big pick-up on commercial radio news after Sky News Radio decided – rarely for them – that they didn’t need to record their own soundbites with the RNLI but instead would lift them from our B-Roll interview
  • BBC Breakfast’s reporter creating a mini radio news package which ran on 5 Live, Radio 2 News and 33 local BBC radio stations
  • Our pre-cut news package running on multiple websites including 20 coastal news sites and several yachting/sea related ones

All this was set up, managed and delivered by markettiers in late May 2018 for the RNLI. The charity was launching its flagship annual beach safety campaign – Respect The Water.  

Their advice? Should you find yourself in difficulty in the sea, rather than try and swim, fight your natural instincts by floating calmly for 60-90 seconds before waving for help or trying to swim away. This gives you the chance to get your breath back rather than panic, allows your body to normalise from the effects of cold water shock and so lessens the chances of drowning.

Central to our interviews was Simon Chrisp who in June 2017 watched as his 16-year old son, Evan, was washed out to sea by strong waves. Simon immediately phoned the emergency services. However Evan had seen the RNLI’s floating advert in the cinema, and managed to float for 40 minutes before the RNLI were able to rescue him. The film Evan had been to watch?  Baywatch….

On the campaign launch day Evan had to sit his school exams, but having Simon instead gave us the perspective of the helpless parent watching in horror as his child was swept out to sea. Supporting Simon were the RNLI’s Beach Safety Manager and the UK's leading cold-water survival expert, both strong, articulate, experienced interviewees.

This was the 14th successive year that the RNLI has worked with us. Yet again we delivered them a strong platform for their messaging. As they said on the day, if it saves one life, it’ll be money very well spent.

“I just wanted to say a huge thank-you and well done to the markettiers.” – Roselyne Crowther, Senior PR & Marketing Manager, RNLI.

“Thanks so much for all your excellent work. Everyone is really pleased with the coverage and have fed back great things about how smoothly the day ran.” – Lucy Parker, PR Manager, RNLI