The armies on both sides of the Atlantic have been having something of a recruitment problem for a few years now, the US Army some time ago introduced a video game which would allow you to play out missions with one of their regiments. The scores were then posted on the internet and those that demonstrated a high aptitude and the correct demographic were encouraged to sign up.

In a current campaign created by Publicis the British Army uses video that is common across the TV ads and the online ads to draw a user in through a series of encounters all tied together through the tagline ‘Start Thinking Soldier’. Through a series of problem solving, strategic thinking and steady-hand challenges you can find out about the jobs in the army and the weapons that they use.

Through using real video footage with the flash games the whole experience is one which is interactive and makes the most of all the technologies available to it. This action can really get the heart pumping and provides the merest glimpse into what goes through the mind and body of a soldier in combat.

The fact that this is an integrated campaign featuring outdoor ads on phone boxes, press, TV and online means that it is hitting it’s target audience wherever they are and driving them to the site where the real action begins. There is obviously a need to collect data from this for finding the real potential recruits and this is done through gathering thie rinfo and then assessing their performances. According to my performance – I shouldn’t be a sniper.

Whatever your views on military action – the campaign works and it works through having a strong idea that is carried through across all media. The technology isn’t the story but it does help to tell it.