RAF Gunners ad shows why new recruits like Mondays

The RAF is launching its first ever campaign to recruit Regiment Gunners, the specialist force responsible for protecting the force’s personnel, aircraft and bases, which reframes Monday mornings as an opportunity to imagine a very different kind of working life.

“What Does Your Monday Look Like?” has been devised by Wonderhood Studios and targets ambitious 16-to 24-year-olds who feel trapped by routine, positioning the role as the antidote to monotonous work. The campaign highlights the Regiment’s unique variety, where every day, mission and environment demands something different.

It is spearheaded by a series of films that immerse audiences directly into the role using authentic first-person POV footage, captured via body-mounted GoPro cameras worn by serving RAF Regiment Gunners.

Rather than relying on a traditional production approach with a director orchestrating each shot, the campaign is built entirely from months of real footage captured by the Gunners themselves.

The films embrace a gritty, energetic and deliberately imperfect visual style, placing viewers in the boots of Regiment Gunners as they move between different operational environments and responsibilities. Dynamic editing brings together the footage to reinforce the pace and unpredictability of the role, creating a visceral contrast with the repetitive rhythms of civilian working life.

“What Does Your Monday Look Like?” goes live across YouTube, Meta, Snapchat and Reddit as part of the Royal Air Force’s wider recruitment work.

The media strategy reinforces the campaign’s central idea by appearing only at the moments when its message is most relevant. Paid social activity runs on Sunday evenings, Mondays and Tuesdays, while OOH is deployed exclusively on Mondays and Tuesdays during evening commuter hours, targeting audiences as they end their working days, and inviting them to question what their own Monday could look like.

RAF Recruiting and Selection wing commander Tracey Broome said: “We’re looking for young people who thrive on challenge, enjoy learning new skills and want a career that continually pushes them to grow. The RAF Regiment Gunners offers all of that and more.

“This campaign authentically captures the variety of the role, helping more young people understand what life as a Regiment Gunner can really look like.”

Wonderhood Studios chief commercial officer Matt Rhodes added: “For most people, Monday signals the start of another familiar week. For a Regiment Gunner, it could mean learning a new skill, operating in a different environment or taking on an entirely new challenge.

“Rather than telling people this, we wanted the audience to experience that contrast first-hand, putting them directly into the Gunners’ boots to see and feel how different their Mondays are.”