Miami: Revolutionary Waterway Advertising Partnership Between Ballyhoo Media And Hornblower Group Unveiled

Published on February 27, 2026

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Ballyhoo Media is looking to transform waterway advertising all over the U.S. The Hornblower Group recently partnered with Hornblower Group to, for the first time, offer waterway advertising services to the entire country. Hornblower Group is one of the largest ferry service operators in the U.S., and Ballyhoo Media has made significant contributions to waterway advertising, especially via vessel wraps and digital billboards.

Through this partnership, waterway advertising will be available for the first time in all major U.S. urban centers and will be enhanced by Hornblower’s fleet and Ballyhoo’s ten years of experience in waterway advertising.

Ballyhoo Media Goes National

Ballyhoo Media has partnered with Hornblower Group, establishing new national advertising opportunities for the company. Ballyhoo has pioneered advertising on waterways with ferry wraps, digital billboards on boats, and other experiential campaigns targeting commuters, tourists, and residents. From New York to Seattle and San Francisco to Miami, Ballyhoo has provided advertising for local, regional, and national clients integrated into the high-impact advertising offered by transit agencies and maritime operators.

In partnership with Hornblower, Ballyhoo Media will be able to use Hornblower’s passenger vessels, allowing for greater scope and surface area for innovative advertising.

Hornblower Group’s Involvement in the Partnership

Hornblower Group is key to the partnership as they run several water taxis and ferries in different cities, including tourist hotspots like Niagara Falls, the Statue of Liberty, and Alcatraz. They also run an entertainment division, City Cruises, that includes dining cruises and sightseeing boat rides, providing a transport and leisure service.

Hornblower serves over 20 million guests a year, making it one of the biggest ferry service providers in North America. Their partnership with Ballyhoo Media also provides them with the ability to improve their advertising and marketing, thus providing them with the ability to capture more customers via location based adverts, and location based adverts.

Both companies have a lot of experience working together in different areas. Their partnership has worked successfully in the past with high-profile campaigns such as the St. Patrick’s Day activations in Chicago. These campaigns collaborated with Jameson Irish Whiskey and demonstrated Ballyhoo’s ability to capture more revenue and integrate marketing with the busy maritime areas.

The collaboration with both firms in Chicago showed a strong synergy, with the ability to harness the excitement and energy of bustling maritime environments like the popular Chicago River dyeing event that draws thousands of spectators. The collaboration allows the integration of Hornblower’s wide range and stream of Ballyhoo’s innovative placement to create an advertising hub that speaks to the local, national, and international markets.

Partnership Expansion Across the US

Following the official formation of the partnership with Hornblower, the two companies have started to plan their collaboration to be rolled out nationwide, starting with Hornblower’s Potomac Water Taxi service. This marks the beginning of the expansion of waterway advertising to be integrated into Hornblower’s numerous vessels in partnership in a phased format. The collaboration provides an effective advertising channel to commuters, tourists, and residents while utilizing Hornblower’s established market position as a leading ferry and water taxi operator in the US.

The combination of Ballyhoo’s extensive experience in integrating advertising within the maritime sector and Hornblower’s own fleet of vessels means a new way of capturing consumers’ attention through advertising on the water. This partnership allows brands to access a new way of reaching consumers. With the integration of advertising within Hornblower voyages, consumers’ experiences will be enhanced with new ways of interacting with brands.

The Future of Maritime Advertising

There is a lot of excitement surrounding the future of this partnership. Each executive emphasizes how the partnership improves the entire maritime advertising sector. Tyler Zlatin, Ballyhoo Media Chief Revenue Officer, expects what he describes as a “1+1=3 effect” within the entire maritime industry, and, in particular, advertising on ferries and water taxis, which have historically been relatively overlooked.

Zlatin believes the partnership will further establish both companies as the forefront leaders in waterway advertising and create the groundwork for even more advertising opportunities. He is confident the partnership will improve experiential marketing within the maritime industry and will provide new ways for brands to engage with customers in transit.

Dan Russell, Senior Vice President of City Cruises at Hornblower Group, shares the excitement. He notes that the partnership with Ballyhoo Media will help integrate advertising onto Hornblower’s fleet. He values the partnership for the ability to reach audiences toward a more innovative advertising approach, especially at waterfronts and tourist hotspots.

Conclusion

Ballyhoo Media and Hornblower Group’s partnership is set to change the maritime advertising sector. The combination of Ballyhoo’s waterway advertising expertise with Hornblower’s extensive fleet of ferries and water taxis will provide a unique, high-value opportunity for advertisers in highly visible locations. With the Potomac Water Taxi and Hornblower’s varied fleet, the expanded partnership positions the two companies to provide exceptional advertising that will last in the minds of passengers for years to come.