The Electric Barge and The Floating Classroom
- Brand
- Campaign strategy
- Art direction & photography
- OOH
The Electric Barge operates on London’s Grand Union and Regent’s Canals, providing private hire for parties, events and corporate away days. Outthought was commissioned to refresh the organisation’s brand, produce and art direct an extensive photo and video shoot, and develop ad concepts for a prominent digital billboard site on the Westway.
Getting the brand out to stand out
In the surprisingly competitive private-hire boat market on London’s Canals, The Electric Barge needed to find a way to stand out from established competitors.
Outthought developed a refreshed brand that put the barge’s unique artist-designed livery at the centre of its visual identity, separating it from the traditional style common among competitors and establishing a niche with a younger, hipper demographic.
What we found when we began work with Outthought is that we had gained a partner in helping us to figure out how we presented ourselves to both of our audiences. They really took time to learn about what we do, to dig into what we wanted to achieve, and — crucially for us — to understand the values that drive everything we do.
The Electric Barge’s secret double life
As an entertainment and party venue, most of the Electric Barge’s work is done in the small hours, but by day, The Electric Barge becomes something altogether different...
The Electric Barge is home to The Floating Classroom, an educational charity that supports West London schools with waterborne learning, part-funded by private hire operations. Outthought developed a brand architecture cohesive across both of the organisation’s key activities, maintaining a through-line for two very different audiences.
The brief we gave Outthought was far from straightforward. By working with us in a spirit of collaborative curiosity, they aced it, and we are delighted with the results.
