Die Seenotretter

The German Maritime Search and Rescue Service (DGzRS) operates a fleet of over 60 state-of-the-art rescue vessels and lifeboats every day at the North Sea and Baltic Sea coast and does exactly what one would expect: it saves lives. The organisation has been wholly financed by donations since 1865. However, an increasing number of competitors is entering the market for donations and canvassing for a constant volume of donations. The DGzRS had to position itself clearly in order to safeguard the future and quality of the vital work it performs.

kleiner und bold was commissioned to create a communications profile, but to do so cautiously so that the character of the traditional, non-profit organisation would not be changed. A new brand was developed and implemented. The first step was to create a catchy name: Die Seenotretter (“Lifesavers at Sea”). This gets to the heart of the rescue service’s work and the purpose of the donations. It also makes the brand easy to remember and pronounce. The image concept follows the positioning that was defined in cooperation with the client and concentrates on the professionals in rescue missions. In this way, the brand increases the donors’ ability to identify with the organisation and takes both tradition and the current situation seriously. Apart from the new name, the corporate design and the images, kleiner und bold also developed a website, a magazine for the over 300,000 donors, and a mission booklet (“The Compass”) to communicate the new positioning internally. Despite the growing number of competitors on the market for donations, Die Seenotretter was able to ensure the necessary support for its work.