The Royal Air Force will be focusing their recruitment efforts on full time and spare-time recruits in a new multi-channel national ad campaign from WCRS that spans TV, radio, social media and online display advertising. The bulk of the campaign is built around a series of 20 and 30 second spots created by Andy Lee and Jonny Porthouse, and directed by regular Top Gear director Kit Lynch-Robinson, who have managed to highlight what it takes for the RAF to respond to a humanitarian crisis by focusing on how such a crisis requires the efforts of people working in many different roles including engineers, cooks and medics.
It marks the first time that one campaign targets both full time regular employees and spare time reservists, and ties in with the single recruitment hub website created by WCRS
The spot below is titled “The One,” and shows how both full-time employees and part-time volunteers have an important role to play in a crisis response. It marks the first time that one campaign targets both full time regular employees and spare time reservists, and ties in with the single recruitment hub website created by WCRS. Later this year, that same site will be hosting an interactive “Mission experience,” which gives potential recruits the opportunity to experience what it's like to be part of a genuine RAF humanitarian aid mission. The spot couldn't be more timely, as just last Saturday night (the 30th of August) two RAF Hercules planes dropped 14 tonnes of food and water into the besieged Iraqi town of Amerli in northern Iraq, a town that's spent the last two months being besieged by Islamic State terrorists.
RAF - “The One”
Catherine Coton, RAF group captain, said the new campaign is a “Much more interactive and 21st Century” way to get their message across, and she feels that “WCRS has managed to bring the RAF to life and made it more attainable to potential candidates." Ross Neil, the joint executive director of WCRS said the campaign was designed to shine a light on “The rich world of the RAF and the multitude of roles within it.” He also says that the work they've revealed thus far is “Just the tip of the iceberg of a deeper narrative that flexes the boundaries between traditional media and an interactive piece, which will follow later this year."
WCRS has managed to bring the RAF to life and made it more attainable to potential candidates." Catherine Coton, RAF group captain
The communications strategy and media planning for the new campaign was handled by MEC, who won the combined Royal Navy and RAF strategic communications and planning account back in March.
Benjamin Hiorns is a freelance writer and musician from the UK. He's absolutely terrified of flying and/or the idea of being shot at so probably won't be joining the RAF any time soon.
