The Royal Navy is targeting Gen Z in its latest campaign focusing on the stories of veterans and showcasing some of the more modern ideals duty.
Breaking a week on from Remembrance Sunday and led by Hyjinks Collective, the film highlights how the concept of duty can help today’s world.
“Duty is helping to get plastic out of our oceans. Duty is teaching young people that knives should be in the kitchen and not in the streets. Duty is helping people find their way out of the darkness and into the spotlight,” it begins.
The minute-long film features the stories of seven personnel/veterans and will be accompanied by a range of photographic OOH assets produced by the Royal Navy’s Photography Branch, displayed at prime spot Piccadilly Circus from 18 November.
The photographs showcase all seven veterans including a former Marine Captain Jonathan White who lost three limbs while on patrol in Afghanistan and marine officer Lieutenant Isobel Rawling who will lead the first all-serving military team to row across the Atlantic.
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Other officers featured in the campaign include Petty Officer and disability advocate Rebecca Fyans, reservist Lieutenant Commander Mark Bannister who volunteers with the Royal Ambulance service, Colour Seargeant Beatan who leads cooking classes and helps tackle youth crime, and former Marine Captain Tip Cullen who is a Soldier Arts Academy volunteer and also supports other non-profit organisations.
“Seeing the work that we co-created with the Royal Navy go live is a real moment of Hijinks history. As an ad agency we set out to create culture, not campaigns and this piece of work is just that,” said Hijinks Collective co-founder and chief creative officers Tamryn Kerr and Marc Allenby.
“Hearing all of the incredible stories of people going above and beyond to serve not only the Royal Navy but also their local communities was a joy,” they continued.
“Getting to work with those same people to bring this campaign to life was a privilege.”
Royal Navy head of communications Alix Vonx added: “Since joining the Royal Navy communications team I have been blown away by the talent we have in-house. When Hijinks came to us with ‘A Celebration of Duty’ we could instantly see the potential.”
“This collaboration and working in a ‘bubble’ with the Hijinks team has allowed us to tap into in-house talent in a way that pushed our thinking and raised our ambition. This beautiful campaign is that ambition realised”.
