Swedish Armed Forces (SAF) aim high To attract the best officer candidates, the SAF sent a brain-teasing mailer that this problem-solving audience would find irresistible.

1. Brand BACKGROUND Despite such changes, Sweden IDEA would air. This then contained
Swedish Armed Forces Ever since compulsory military still mails every citizen on their 17th For several years the campaign certain codes that could be
Agency service started to be dismantled in birthday asking them to take part team has used the theme ‘Do deciphered and would direct them
DDB 2006 – it comes to an end in July in a compulsory ‘pre-test’, which is you have what it takes?’, with to the SAF’s online Hub. In fact, DDB
Media 2010 – the Swedish Armed Forces now carried out online. the SAF wanting to reach out to had worked out that even if only
Direct mail and online (SAF) have had to seek out potential The SAF needed to find similar high-achieving problem solvers. one third responded, the film would
Country recruits. At the same time, the SAF high-calibre candidates who weren’t This time it focused on challenging still work if they were smart enough
Sweden have had to transform themselves already on their database to take those who also had the potential to collaborate.
Date in recent years, from what was this test. So their agency DDB to work together as a team. DDB The follow-up prompt was a
December 2009/ perceived as a peacekeeping approached 7,500 individuals who suggested inviting the target mailing with a blank sheet of paper.
January 2010
force patrolling Sweden’s borders were in essence ‘cold’ targets, but audience to participate in ‘building’ The challenge to recipients was to
into one that participates in with similar profiles to individuals a film, sending each one a mailing work out the message it contained. If
multinational action. who had been approached in containing a single, numbered they held it up to the light, they
So, the SAF have had to focus on previous years. frame of celluloid. would see the message in the
new ways to find potential officers Although the majority were Along with this was the message watermark, saying: ‘You are chosen.
now that the mass compulsory chosen by the SAF, DDB added ‘you need others to succeed’. The last date for application is...
‘pool’ is no longer available. The between 1,500 and 2,500 who were Recipients were told that if Go to http://rekryt.mil.se/
number of army trainees has shrunk picked to represent certain select everyone submitted their number recruitment2009’.
from 20,000 just over a decade ago target audiences (such as women to a given site, each frame would If they made it as far as the Hub,
to 4,000 most recently. and multi-cultural groups). appear and, in turn, a short movie they could challenge themselves
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2. with tests from previous years, such successful in PR terms and with something different that appeals. intelligently you create a respectful
as gruelling gamer ones. Always building word of mouth. DDB has moved into building and engaged response.
against the clock, these tests Importantly, all the candidates the next stage of the campaign, to Finding new officers for the army
gauged a range of skills from spatial met the high educational, physical be aired in June 2010. This is more was always going to be a tough brief
thinking to the ability to protect and psychological standards set of an employer branding campaign with too much competition and not
others. Participants could also go in by the SAF, and even exceeded as a pre-phase for the next enough prospects. It is clear from
and check job offers. them. Given the shrinking pool of recruitment drive scheduled for earlier campaigns that this group is
tested candidates, there was always autumn 2010. already responsive. What impresses
REsUlts the possibility that the SAF might me is how the creative ramps up this
The campaign achieved an have been forced to lower the bar INDUstRy COmmENtARy engagement to extraordinary levels.
impressive 40% and, with some for applications. This campaign John Griffiths, founder, There aren’t jobs for everyone.
1,400 completed applications showed that they could actually Planning Above and Beyond Nor does everyone want to join
received within two months, it raise it up a notch. ‘Getting direct mail respondents to the army. But this campaign
was a great success. The SAF classified more than 75% work together to assemble a film delivered an audience who like the
The mailing achieved more of those who applied as attractive, online frame by frame is a brilliant way they are being spoken to and
applications than expected from an increase on previous years. Given idea. But as part of a series of who are willing to participate. You
a ‘cold’ audience but, more that the SAF have to compete for clever campaigns, it has an even don’t need to be an army to put
importantly, there was a higher this elite audience with a whole raft stronger impact. It is an elegant out these creative challenges. But
ratio of high-quality candidates of blue chip companies, they have demonstration of the truth you probably get a better army
than ever before. It also proved proved that they can offer that when you communicate when you do.’
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