Hull Creative Group

Waterfront Banners Reveal a Hidden Treasure, the Boston Harbor Islands, Where Visitors and Locals Can Escape and Breathe

Boston, MA Nov. 17, 2008 /PRNewswire/ – Boston tourists and residents are currently encountering a stunning array of colorful banners along Boston's famed waterfront that promote a spectacular outdoor experience just "15 minutes by ferry," the Boston Harbor Islands national park area. The banners, which stretch from Christopher Columbus Park to Boston's Long Wharf and to the Moakley Federal Courthouse carry Mayor Tom Menino's enthusiastic endorsement: "The Boston Harbor Islands are the hidden jewels of Boston."

To view the Multimedia News Release, go to: http://www.prnewswire.com/mnr/islandalliance/35945/

Boston Harbor Island Alliance (BHIA), which promotes the use, enjoyment, and awareness of the national park area, is proud to present this unique banner collection as the culmination of its multifaceted branding campaign. BHIA kicked off its branding campaign in May 2008. With its central message, "Minutes away. Worlds apart.," the campaign encompassed newspaper ads, including the Boston Globe, Boston Parents Paper, El Mundo, and Sampan; ads on the MBTA subway and bus lines; brochures; and radio promotions.

Branding campaign with a "twist"

Hundreds of thousands of visitors and inhabitants come to Boston's Long Wharf each season for sightseeing and cruises. But amid the competition that ranges from Codzilla boats to charter cruises, the BHIA's small ferry kiosk gets literally lost in the "sea of attractions." The banners, created by Hull Creative of Brookline, Ma., give the Island Alliance and its offerings a stronger presence along the heavily trafficked waterfront area.

"We set out to simply portray and promote the wonderful Boston Harbor Islands," says Caryl Hull, founder and president of Hull Creative. "Yet, we faced a much bigger challenge . . . to make the invisible visible. Many people who walk Boston's waterfront don't even notice, let alone inquire about, one of the city's greatest and most diverse resources. Our ultimate goal was to change behavior. We wanted to get people to actually see and then experience the Islands."

Island Adventures

The banners capture the full range of adventures that the Islands offer, from swimming, boating, and fishing to hiking, Ranger-led tours, and free concerts. All the banners proclaim what visitors can feel and do on the Islands: "breathe," "enjoy," and "escape" as well as "sail," "discover," and "climb a lighthouse." "In some ways the harbor islands are a hidden treasure, and we're working to make them more visible," says Tom Powers, president of the Boston Harbor Island Alliance. "The Islands should be appreciated as a world-class resource and destination, and the banners are key to this project. They say so much. They say it all."

"In many ways, the banners were much more than advertisements," says Carol Thistle, BHIA marketing director. "With all their color and vibrancy, they actually enhance the Harborwalk experience for Boston tourists, while commuters slow down and enjoy a mini vacation."

"The BHIA's Harborwalk banner project was a great team effort," continues Thistle, "Through the involvement of state and city agencies and local companies plus the wonderful work of Hull Creative, we made a powerful statement about the fun and adventure that await visitors to the Harbor Islands. The project can serve as a model of a how a cultural institution can inexpensively promote itself. "

The Boston Harbor Islands national park area features 34 islands, encompassing 1,600 acres and 35 miles of undeveloped ocean shoreline--all within 10 miles of downtown Boston. The islands feature hiking trails, beaches, ranger-led tours, camping, nature walks and historic sites. www.bostonharborislands.org 617-223-8666.

Boston Harbor Island Alliance's mission is to promote public awareness and use of the Boston Harbor Islands national park area by creating vibrant spaces, facilities, and programming on the islands, raising and managing the public and private resources necessary to do so. www.islandalliance.org