“Play the game or play for real.” Gaming fans were presented with an mysterious proposition last week in the lead-up to a mystery first person shooter video game, A New Dawn.

At 12pm on Friday March 12, the mystery was unveiled. A New Dawn is not, in fact, just a game. It’s a recruitment campaign for the Irish Defence Forces by top Irish creative agency, Rothco.

The campaign began with a teaser trailer similar to the type of advertisement people would normally associate with the launch of a major video game. The trailer received a lot attention as gaming fans tried to establish its origins.

A custom-built site was created for the launch. And visitors invited. There, they found out that they can play the game for real. A first-person interactive video put skill, determination and courage to the test, ultimately determining if gamers have the right stuff to apply for the Defence Forces.

“As a small neutral country, there’s a lack of understanding amongst the Irish public as to what the defence forces do which has a knock on effect when it comes to recruitment,” explained Katie Oslizlok, account director at Rothco.

“We were tasked with changing that perception, and in doing so, convince 5,000 18-24 year olds to apply for a career with the Defence Forces. We decided to shift brand perceptions by immersing young Irish men and women in the awesome reality of a career in the Defence Forces.”

The interactive video uses a real soldier avatar to immerse game players in the “reality” of becoming a soldier in a platoon which is conducting a joint land, sea and air assault. The scenario, in which every decision has a consequence, allows players to appreciate the skill, determination and courage required of Defence Forces personnel as they conduct their basic training. At the end of the game players are directed to the recruitment website.

The innovative approach builds on last year’s female focused campaign, which won a Silver Lion at Cannes Festival of Creativity.

Find out if you’d make the grade here.