I think it is kind of amusing. It reminds me of how motorcycle drivers used to have the "bad boy" image, rebels on Harleys, Hell's Angels.
Well, the plastic hammer whack-a-hull guys have been subjected to a lot of flack in recent years too. Sales have dropped off, lawsuits have increased and the market is flooded with alphabet heavy "surveyors" and ABYC "certified technicians" who worked on the fuel dock for a few months before buying a cram course in whatever specialty they found interesting or affordable.
So ... just as a clever marketing team turned Hell's Angels into uber-patriots thundering down the highway in the name of one heart tugging cause or another to which a flag and a bike could be attached, now the alphabet clans have figured out that "public service" is the way to go. It's a foot in your door that kind of reminds me of the door to door evangelists.
At least the Jehovah's Witnesses aren't in a position to influence your insurance company.
