Redford and Benny have returned for an encore and some news.
The duo, who gained popularity as the face of the Serene18 Paddle Trail campaign in a promotional video released in June 2020, will appear in a seven-minute short film was released at 10 a.m. July 30, according to Shelly Blackburn, executive director of the Columbia County Convention and Visitors Bureau. The video is available at visitcolumbiacountyga.com/serene18-paddle-trail/
MORE: Serene18 Promo Draws Visitors to Area Waterways
“You have to make people laugh to reach people in marketing,” she said.
And that’s the goal of the characters, dressed in their official Serene18 uniforms. Redford, played by Joey Thompson, is the voice of the group while Benny, played by Andy Colbert of Outdoor Augusta, tags along with some humorous moments along the way.
The video will feature the familiar faces plus some new characters as Redford and Benny blaze a new trail.
Blackburn said seven minutes may sound long for a video, but she promises it’s worth it.
It’s all about drawing attention to area waterways and pumping up tourism.
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The Serene18 Paddle Trail refers to 18 square miles of water trails at the lake, canal and Savannah River. In 2020, the CVB offered a passport with four routes taking in those spots Redford highlights in the first video. People who canoe or kayak the routes can get their passports stamped once they’ve paddled them. When they complete the passport, they receive a free T-shirt.
Blackburn said the campaign has been a success.
“We knew watersports, kayaking and paddling were popular in the area,” she said.
Blackburn said they’ve mailed out 6,000 passports since the campaign began.
A couple of recent visitors to her office with their completed passport came from Louisiana. They saw someone back home wearing the T-shirt and asked how to get one. That T-shirt led to their trip to the area.
That’s just one example of the reach of the program which has drawn a lot of visitors from the Atlanta area.
Many out-of-town guests will stay in local hotels and eat at local restaurants impacting the community’s bottom line.
Blackburn said not only is there a new short film, but there’s a fifth route that will be added to the Serene18 Paddle Trail passport. It features the Below Dam area.
People can get passports stamped at Keg Creek Water Sports at Wildwood Park, Cole Watkins Kayak Tours, Outdoor Augusta at Riverside Park, Savannah Rapids Kayak Rental and the Columbia County Visitors Center. T-shirts are available at the Columbia County Convention and Visitors Bureau office, 3300 Evans To Locks Rd.
Blackburn said there’s a possibility this short film won’t be the last time Redford and Benny and their new friends show up. More episodes may be released in the future.
Charmain Z. Brackett is the Features Editor for The Augusta Press. Reach her at charmain@theaugustapress.com.
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