Community-Based Social Marketing Campaign Focused on Balloon Releases at Weddings

After extensive pre-campaign research in Virginia between 2015 - 1017 to better understand who plans balloon release events – and, most importantly, why - the Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program and Clean Virginia Waterways of Longwood University launched a new social marketing campaign, Joyful Send-off. 

The goal of the campaign is to reduce helium balloon releases at weddings. The Joyful Send-off campaign encourages couples to use alternative, litter-free, send-off ideas that capture the same joyous and picture-perfect moment identified as one of the reasons balloon releases are conducted. The campaign is being funded by grants from the NOAA Office of Coastal Management and Marine Debris Program.

Visit the Joyful Send-off campaign website - www.JoyfulSendoff.org

Mid-Atlantic Prevent Balloon Litter Campaign

In late 2018, the Mid-Atlantic Regional Council on the Ocean’s Mid-Atlantic Marine Debris Work Group received a grant from the NOAA Marine Debris Program to expand work in Virginia on use of Community-Based Social Marketing (behavior change) to reduce mass release of balloons and encourage use of alternatives during celebrations and memorials.

In October 2021, the Mid-Atlantic states of Virginia, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey and New York launched the pilot of a new campaign in partnership with the Virginia Aquarium, National Aquarium, and New York Aquarium to reduce balloon debris in the region. The campaign includes pledges collected from visitors to the aquariums as well as use of social media to reach as many members of the public as possible with the hope that our message goes viral!

For more information about the campaign, please contact Avalon Bristow, MARCO abristow@midatlanticocean.org.