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thedrifter
02-08-05, 09:00 AM
Royal Marines venture below the line to find recruits
February 08, 2005 Daniel Farey-Jones,

LONDON - The Royal Marines have embarked on their first direct response campaign to recruit 18- to 28-year-old men who prefer to play sport rather than sit on the couch and watch it.

The campaign has been created by WWAV Rapp Collins London, with media planning and buying by Tri-Direct. It uses direct mail and inserts, in tandem with a website designed and built by WWAV Digital. Tri-Direct broke the target group into two categories. One group was identified as viewing themselves as equal to the challenge of joining the elite regiment while the other group is equally fit and active, but are more likely to be employed in work that they do not find stimulating. The direct mail element targets 50,000 men who were drawn from lists based on age, gender and interests. Half of this group will be sent a basic letter and the other half will be sent an eight-page booklet with the recruitment telephone number and address for the website. The same material is also being inserted in magazines. One group is covered by men's magazines such as FHM, Maxim and Loaded, using the letter and the booklet. The other group is covered by sports and martial arts magazines such as Boards and Combat, using the letter only. Three different telephone numbers and web addresses have been used in order to track channel and creative response rates. The campaign will be measured on the number of applications requested, the measurements of click-throughs on the website and the number of calls made to the call centre. The letter consists of an outer marked only by the Royal Marines' logo. Inside, in sparsely printed text, the letter commences: "We are one of the world's elite fighting forces. We are respected by our country, envied by our peers and feared by enemies around the world. We operate in every climate and under every condition. We are the Royal Navy's amphibious infantry. We are commandos. What are you?" The booklet comprises eight pages of text superimposed on Ordnance Survey maps and night photography of the Royal Marines in action. The front cover reads "You're good. But are you good enough?" Inside, the booklet tells readers what they can't do, such as "infiltrate enemy territory under cover of darkness, covertly construct a bridge and get out alive", but promises that the Royal Marines can teach them. WWAV Rapp Collins was appointed in September 2004 by COI on behalf of its client Directorate Naval Recruiting.


Ellie