Background

At a time when yachts were being custom designed and built one at a time from hull to helicopter pad, Calixas’ founding partners decided to mimic the aerospace and automotive industries’ approach and design a series of semi-custom “crossover yachts.” Demand for a new custom yacht was at an all-time high with waits as long as 36 months. Some people were turning to retrofitting older yachts, but that was costly, timely and prohibitive of technological advances.

Logo Inspiration

Often during a briefing I am sketching ideas. I really like working with entrepreneurs. Visionaries ride the wave of creative momentum when it hits. Decisions are made fast, without getting hung up in committees.

From the naval architect’s renderings I learned that all Calixas yachts would share the same round window—making them instantly recognizable as a Calixas yacht. I drew the window shape on a napkin and all agreed it was to be the logo, and we moved onto the next steps of branding.

Strategy

Typically I begin by putting myself in the shoes of the target audience. But purchasing a $10 million yacht, with an additional cost of $2+ million per year to run, was an inconceivable thought—until I was briefed by the naval architect. He revealed to me that the ultra-wealthy want family to come first, to be safe, to be treated kindly, to enjoy the fruits of their labor and to experience the wonders of life. They simply play with bigger, more expensive toys. Without fail, today I find these core truths reliable in tying us all together in this great human experience.

Challenge

When I was awarded this branding and advertising project, the only assets available were architectural renderings and one 3D rendering of the Calixas C2. The first Calixas C2 was being built in different parts of the world and photos of the first run were not expected for about six more months.

Captivating Captains

It was evident that captains are critical influencers for yacht buyers. I didn’t feel that buying ad space would be an effective way to reach them. Instead, I proposed a peer-to-peer marketing event with Dockwalk, an online magazine and social networking portal exclusive to superyacht captains and crew.

Calixas’ naval architect and captain were in attendance giving tours, talking yacht tech and highlighting features designed expressly for captains and crew. It was an incredibly powerful way to acknowledge captains and cultivate credibility.

Helping Others

Gaining a lot of brand exposure from just a sprinkling of ads was not going to bring unusual results. The job would require additional creativity to uncover ways to get more exposure.

Early on, I turned to a couple of generous media reps for information, while seeking to improve my knowledge in the industry. I had already signed agreements for a year’s media buy, so it wasn’t like they were going to get more commission from their benevolence. We became partners in excellence and we all achieved more success personally, professionally and for our organizations’ brands.