Army ads fight awareness battle

The British Army is launching a major recruitment drive in response to a research project which found that a quarter of its potential recruits believe the Army is less relevant now than ever before.
The campaign, devised by Engine agencies Partners Andrews Aldridge and WCRS, highlights the role of the Army Reserve, in order to improve public understanding of what they do and support recruiting across the whole Army.
The Normal Day drive aims to demonstrate the importance of the roles the Army plays, at home and abroad, in a modern world undergoing significant geo-political and social upheaval.
It has been desgined to raise awareness of the Army role following the OnePoll study, which reveals that 20% of Britons believe the Army is less relevant now than ever before, rising to 25% among the Army’s core recruitment audience (18-34 year olds).
The research also highlights a lack of recognition for the full breadth of roles it undertakes. When asked what ought to be the Army’s priority today, while conflict understandably came top (34%), comparatively few identified humanitarian aid (11%) or disaster relief (13%) as a key task.
Running on TV, print, outdoor and digital platforms, the ads showcase the many unsung roles the Army performs and how it has restored normality to communities that have come under threat at home and abroad.
The campaign will include three documentaries showing real-life examples of the vital and positive impact individual Army personnel have made to ordinary people’s lives in the UK, Kosovo and the Philippines.
Brigadier Nick Orr, the Army’s head of communications, said: “We have launched this campaign to improve understanding about what the Army does, but also to showcase the people that make our Army the force it is for good. These skilled men and women help to ensure normality is preserved for people at home and overseas and this campaign helps bring that to life for a modern audience who, in part at least, may question its future role and relevance.
“We are proud of the Army’s values and role which is absolutely to protect the UK and fight its enemies, but also to prevent conflict and deal with disaster. While we recognise the clear need to adapt and change with the times, our role and relevance is enduring. The Army is as relevant now, if not more so, than ever before amid these incredibly complex times.”