VVDB (Vrienden van de Binnenvaart) is a foundation that supports and promotes inland navigation through education and career inspiration in the maritime sector in the Netherlands.
When we were approached by VVDB to help promote careers in inland navigation to teenagers, we knew we weren’t just battling low awareness, we were going up against deep-rooted perceptions. To most 15 to 18-year-olds, inland shipping felt distant, outdated and irrelevant. Boats and barges? Not exactly trending on TikTok.
But we saw an opportunity.
This wasn’t just a recruitment campaign, it was a branding challenge. Our goal was to reframe inland navigation not as a fallback option, but as a bold, future-forward career path full of freedom, responsibility and adventure. We needed to speak to teens in their language, on their platforms, with stories that looked and felt like their world.
So we went all in on digital storytelling.
We built a campaign rooted in real stories, fronted by young professionals already making waves in the industry. No actors, no scripts, just authentic voices sharing what it’s really like to work on the water. The content lived where our audience did – on Snapchat, YouTube and TikTok – delivering fast, scroll-stopping videos with a human touch.
As Art Director, I led the creative vision that brought this world to life. Working closely with the content and strategy teams, I developed a visual identity that was bold, fresh and made the world of inland navigation feel current. Every color choice, layout and animation was designed to bridge the gap between a traditional industry and a digital-first generation.
The result? A campaign that didn’t just inform, but inspired. Inland navigation is no longer something teens have to stumble upon by accident. It’s now a visible, viable and even aspirational career option – presented in a way that feels exciting, real and right for their future.
And this is just the beginning. The tide is changing….
