Den Helder uses Navy Days to launch PR campaign

DEN HELDER – The Northwestern Dutch city, which for centuries has been home to the Dutch navy, has launched an intensive public relations campaign dubbed ‘Den Helder kust de zee’. The PR campaign focuses on the Dutch noun ‘kust’, which has a double meaning not translatable into English. Both translation options, coast and kissing, simply do not offer the play of words as done in Dutch. Den Helder is a coastal (kust) town but the slogan suggests that the city is enamored with the sea by kissing it. No doubt, the Dutch public will remember the play on words, something they do themselves frequently as they invent such terms of endearment for landmarks or places. Den Helder’s PR campaign launch coincided with this year’s edition of the town’s popular navy days, during which the coastal town’s population swells significantly as it welcomes tens of thousands of visitors. Taking the long view for recruitment, the navy replicated numerous types of training routines for eager children and teenagers looking for a challenge to show off their youthful skills.