Background

The Department of National Defence (DND) and the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) play a pivotal role in advancing national interests, sharing Canadian values, and exhibiting leadership across the world. To help keep Canada secure and prosperous, it's vital for the CAF to attract and retain qualified candidates for the Army, Air Force and Navy.

In 2022, there was a desire to launch a new recruitment campaign to broaden national awareness of military opportunities and connect with a wider audience across Canada. Recent changes in workplace culture, the job market, and the advertising landscape have made it difficult to attract new talent. In response, Feast rose to the challenge by collaborating with the DND to create the This Is For You campaign. The national campaign primarily targeted job seekers (aged 18-24) and job changers (aged 25-34) in English and French, with regional considerations for Quebec, coastal and northern regions.

Campaign objectives

The overall purpose of the campaign was to bolster awareness and stimulate interest in the numerous opportunities and benefits that come with a career in the military. It aimed to demonstrate the CAF as a best-in-class professional employer that offers rewarding and challenging careers with competitive pay and benefits, including paid leave, paid education, training and career development programs, adventure and travel, and transferable job skills. Additionally, it would drive traffic to Forces.ca and social media platforms.

The approach

We believe that creative should break from convention to capture attention. So, we moved away from stereotypical military ads towards being more personable, telling stories with more emotion and authenticity to develop positive associations and leave longer-lasting impressions.

Leaning into audience research, we found that 68% of women and 54% of men aged 18-35 were unfamiliar with the CAF. Those better acquainted with the CAF were more likely to consider a career in the military. To meet our goals, it was essential to communicate a realistic portrayal of a CAF career. We focused more on audience connection, increased visibility among younger audiences, and enhanced brand experiences through high-quality, engaging content.

Our strategy revolved around increasing awareness, knowledge, and, most importantly, interest in CAF careers through continuous advertising efforts. By adopting a more proactive approach to recruitment advertising and marketing, we tailored each stage of the candidate journey, from awareness to job application. This would build anticipation early on and nurture prospective candidates even before they begin to seek their first career or career change.

Our aim was to showcase the diverse array of career paths that exist beyond combat roles and to educate the public about the CAF’s role as a multifaceted employer. That meant breaking down perceived job barriers related to work-life balance, physical challenges, and career flexibility.

Campaign execution

The This Is For You campaign vision was to demonstrate the potential that everyone has to create an impact in the CAF and in the world, no matter what form that may take. We each have our own unique qualities and gifts that come out in different situations; these all have a place in supporting the CAF. We wanted to resonate with people who feel like they have more to give to the world- people who want to be a part of something bigger than themselves.

At the center of this campaign, the 90-second video would be emblematic of this vision. The overall tone of the entire awareness campaign was designed to be relatable, uplifting, and inspirational, with an impactful, cinematic look and feel. We developed seven unique storylines that featured the following distinct CAF environments: the Army, Navy, and Air Force. These were shot over a week in British Columbia, where we made sure to film in various locations that would represent different parts of the country.

Each scenario follows a character that finds themself in a civilian situation that makes them a great candidate for the military. As they demonstrate their unique and valued qualities, their clothing begins to transform into the CAF uniform, and we dive into a CGI close-up of the military fabric forming around our hero. The final frame zooms out to reveal the character donning their full CAF uniform. Behind them, we see the CAF environment background as it relates to the scenario. This transformation foreshadows their future as CAF members and presents the uniform as a symbol of strength, resilience, passion, and humanity.

From February 25 to March 9, 2023, the video premiered in cinemas across Canada in English and French, supported by online video (OLV) in digital, programmatic, and social media. Feast also curated the storylines into a range of 30-second, 15-second, and 6-second spots to ensure creative longevity over time without causing ad fatigue. We refined them into 16:9, 1:1, and 9:16 formats to cater to different digital platforms and further extended content with photographic stills for static executions.

After the initial launch, digital out-of-home (DOOH) placements extended the campaign to high-traffic locations. From June 26 to July 16, 2023, the campaign appeared on digital billboards in Vancouver, Montreal, Edmonton, and Calgary, inside malls, transit stations, and outdoor areas. Most significant was a Canada Day takeover of Toronto’s Yonge-Dundas Square. During this takeover, multiple digital billboards in Yonge-Dundas Square exclusively displayed “This Is For You” visuals between 5 to 9 p.m. for four consecutive hours.

Ad placements were also secured during the broadcast of the competitive reality TV show, The Amazing Race Canada. The show takes teams through a series of challenges as they travel across Canada- a premise that appeals to a broad audience but also resonates strongly with specific viewer groups such as adventure seekers, travel enthusiasts and patriotic individuals. Viewers could catch two This is For You spots during commercial breaks from July 10 to September 5, 2023. The fully integrated campaign is slated to continue over the next few years across various platforms.

Results

The first indication of the campaign's success came from focus group testing. The DND does a final round of public opinion research before each new awareness campaign launch to get a sense of the viewer's response before final creative approvals. During the focus groups, the participants clearly understood the messaging and intent and connected emotionally with the creative. The viewers found it inspiring and moving. In fact, every time the creative was presented to various military groups within the CAF itself, there was also a strong emotional response in the room, and everyone mentioned that they stood taller and prouder after watching the ad.

The soft launch of the Awareness campaign saw strong initial results, with a significant increase in the click-through rate (CTR) (322% higher than the previous year) and increased web visits, despite a reduced budget. The full launch of the campaign not only integrated OOH placements and a mass media campaign across the country on broadcast placements but also continued the momentum with further digital placements.

The DND and the CAF are thrilled with the new brand direction and the initial response, and we are continuing to push forward with experiential marketing concepts, additional out-of-home takeovers, and supporting creatives.