Maritime NZ

Buoy Boy

Services:
Social
OOH
Activation

Challenge

Maritime New Zealand is challenged each year with moving an audience of 1.9 million beyond awareness of the safety rules on the water, into action. Move boaties beyond knowing the safety rules to consistently doing all three - wearing a lifejacket, checking the marine weather forecast, and carrying two waterproof ways to call for help.

The Kia Mataara platform was developed over multiple phases, with sub-campaigns purpose-built to address specific behaviours, seasons and audience segments.

Solution

Buoy Boy, introduced in Summer 2026 - an in-situ mascot and reminder system placed precisely where boaties actually need the prompt - on and around the water itself. Buoy Boy intervenes at the habitual moment of decision and is deliberately engineered to be social-friendly: a visual, photographable character at boat ramps, designed to be captured and shared as well as seen in place.

Supported by the Radio Hauraki Big Show partnership, an influencer-led social media behaviour change for the hardest to reach audience, Buoy Boy extends far beyond the ramp through organic sharing.

Results

96% checking the weather forecast.

63% carrying two waterproof communications.