Tugboat Creative is a marketing agency headquartered in southern Maine that wields the tools of modern marketing to help progressive companies make the world a better place.
Most of our clients are New England entrepreneurs who work heroically to build organizations that do more than make a profit—by operating holistically and creating products and services that genuinely contribute to human health and happiness, nourish our communities, and mesh naturally with the ebb and flow of life on earth in sustainable, far-seeing ways.

At Tugboat, we’re clear strategic thinkers with taste and heart. We use our talents to help clients create and sell honest, sensible brands by speaking quietly, telling the truth, and treating customers like human beings. We design to minimize cost and waste. We promote sustainable printing. We don’t mark up for printing or media projects. We give back 1% of our revenues. We even work in a hydro-powered office! And we’re just getting started.

Tugboat is led by our “maestro”—founder Steve Darnley—and his crew of talented freelance designers, writers, and web programmers. We’ve been recognized by Co-op America , Maine Businesses for Social Responsibility (MEBSR), and the Maine Organic Farmers and Growers Association as an economic force for progressive change.