Ballyhoo Media ties up with Fire Island Ferries, expands OOH footprint

Ballyhoo Media, the largest waterway media company in the US, expands its OOH advertising footprint with Fire Island Ferries right in time for the summer. This partnership with Fire Island Ferries, a third generation, family-owned and operated company, opens up advertising opportunities on 10 passenger ferries and 9 water taxis, with over 500 faces for brands seeking to reach visitors and residents from Long Island, New York City, and the Northeast region.

The limited OOH opportunities in the Fire Island region makes these assets stand out even more. Over 54% of the 2.2 million visitors to Fire Island use these ferries and water taxis to move to, from, and around the island. The remaining visitors are exposed to the advertisements on the exterior of the vessels while they are exploring the island’s popular entertainment, restaurant, and shopping areas.

Fire Island is a haven, especially active in the summer, with 32 miles of car-free and road-free paradise. The ferries serve as a gateway to the island, with an average trip of 50 minutes to and from the mainland. Boasting 1.2 million annual passengers, the Ferries are the first step for visitors before they enjoy pristine beaches, endless shopping, and all day entertainment in their visit to the island. Then, while visitors are on the island, the Water Taxi network is used to move along Fire Island's 32 miles – servicing 17 stops. 

Pivot Media Ventures, a leader in the US OOH media industry, will represent regional and national brands exclusively for Fire Island Ferries and Fire Island Water Taxi.

“Fire Island is a premiere New York summer beach destination with extremely limited OOH inventory.  We are excited to expand our footprint within this market and offer highly sought-after access to a hard-to-reach audience for our brand partners" stated Brett Weinberg, Co-Founder of Pivot Media Ventures. “We will be leveraging our expertise to create a dynamic and engaging advertising program across these popular transit fleets."

Beyond terminal signage and wallscapes, the ferry and water taxi signage opportunities include exterior and interior boat wraps and bench wraps, headliner wraps, door wraps, and more. 

"We are excited to partner with Ballyhoo Media and see how our two companies will work together,” said Morgan Mooney from Fire Island Ferries, Inc. “In creating this partnership, we are able to be exposed to national brands while still maintaining our high standards of safe, reliable service to and from Fire Island while offsetting the ever rising expenses of business."

Fire Island Ferries is the largest company that services Fire Island and the closest one to Manhattan. They are more than your typical ferry: they are cultural icons deeply embedded in the region's identity. Knowing this, Ballyhoo Media has ensured that advertisements seamlessly integrate with the ferry's existing and beloved branding, designing around the ferries’ iconic and beloved shade of teal blue. To paint a picture, these ferries are as symbolic to the region as the double deckers are to London or as the yellow taxis are to New York City. Advertising with the ferries allow companies to connect their brands with a cultural staple of the region.

This is not new for Ballyhoo. As a family owned business with deep roots in the communities it operates in, Ballyhoo has a history for ensuring historically significant symbols in an area are honoured. Recently, in Chicago Ballyhoo worked with Jameson Whiskey to transform locally beloved ferries into a celebration of tradition and modernity with Jameson’s St. Patrick’s Eve campaign.

Adam Shapiro, CEO of Ballyhoo Media, said "Since the start of our company in 2016, we’ve used our platforms to create a canvas that provides brands with impactful ways to engage with their target audiences–in cities like Seattle, Miami, Tampa, and Chicago.  Our new partnership with Fire Island Ferries underscores our commitment to expanding advertising opportunities in waterway communities while making a splash for both the consumer and the brand.”

Due to its impressive national network of vessel partnerships, Ballyhoo Media’s explosive growth since 2016 now includes advertising opportunities across the Northeast, Northwest, and Southeast corridors of the United States, with additional opportunities to activate across the United States for major events and popups. Ballyhoo’s innovative approach reaches audiences in unexpected places through the waterways, standing out from traditional out-of-home advertisement providers.