Every summer, the NJ-based nonprofit Surfers’ Environmental Alliance (SEA) organizes SEA Paddle NYC, a grueling 25-mile paddleboard race around NYC that benefits the group and several autism charities. Since its inception in 2007, the event has raised over $2 million—and had recently garnered a considerable amount of attention and praise around the world.
Having participated in the event for several years, we jumped at the chance to help give the SEA Paddle NYC brand an update worthy of its reputation.
It started with a designing new logo—one that conveyed the “New York Cityness” of the event. The end result combined the iconic design of NYC’s subway signage with SEA’s surfer figure.
Our next focus was creating a new website, which needed clearer messaging, a modern design, and better integration with SEA’s online donation partner, DoJiggy.com. Big, impactful imagery made an immediate impression on visitors. We also added an interactive map of the paddle route, plus a dynamic gallery of images from races past. And we reworked DoJiggy’s code (no small feat, we assure you), essentially giving two very different online environments a seamless look.
After launching the website, we bolstered awareness on the event's social channels with a content series featuring returning paddlers and their inspiring stories.
To round out the effort, we took a more traditional, grassroots approach and designed posters for display in regional surf shops and other retailers.
