VMLY&R’s new campaign for the Royal Australian Navy is unusual. It doesn’t gloss over the challenging parts of the job. It makes them part of the story. And that story is the campaign’s call to action. It’s called Live a Story Worth Telling. The campaign targets young people, the activist age, with the promise of a variety of meaningful, purpose-driven careers, with the real-world impact that can be made from a life in the Navy.
Vice Admiral Mark Hammond, chief of Navy, stated, “The Navy makes a critical contribution in protecting the nation’s maritime security and economic wellbeing which underpin the Australian way of life. Being part of your Navy provides the opportunity to contribute to something very meaningful, as diplomats and defenders of our maritime interests and Australia’s way of life”.
The campaign features over 80 pieces of content across national TV and cinema, OOH, radio, digital and social media. The stories shown portray a broad picture of life in the Navy, as well as addressing specific questions potential recruits have asked, like “Is there time for a social life?” and “What’s life like on a submarine?”.
The executions depict epic moments, both big and small, while featuring more than the ships, submarines, and helicopters of the Navy. This unique perspective of the campaign captures Navy sailors’ real-life moments of human connection and chronicles their experiences as they live their day-to-day lives on the vessels.
Kieran Moroney, VMLY&R creative director, added, “When set the task of recruiting the next generation of Navy sailors from an ever-demanding talent pool, we needed to show just how fulfilling life at sea can be. And so Live a Story Worth Telling was born. An epic, cinematic tale of purpose and contribution starring real Navy personnel who truly live their story every day.”
Music plays a major role in the power of the campaign film. Big Sync Music’s head of partnerships, Georgia Roberts, stated, “From the moment we set eyes on the treatment, we knew this was going to be an incredible film, and that the score would play a key role in telling the story. There’s no doubt the film is epic and full of adventure, but there’s also real beauty and vulnerability to it; in the vastness of the ocean and the bringing together of communities through challenges. We think the music does a great job of conveying the emotion and complementing the visuals whilst being the centre point that brings all the stories together. Stunning film – Bravo VMLY&R and Navy.”
Sarah Bailey, managing director VMLY&R Melbourne & Sydney, added, “From the outset this campaign was epic in ambition and scope and we’re extremely proud of the final product. It required true partnership at every stage, and we are excited to see it connect with Australians looking for a unique and fulfilling career in what is an increasingly critical industry for our country.”
Credits:
Client: Defence Force Recruiting
Chief of Navy: VADM Mark Hammond
Director General, Defence Force Recruiting: BRIG Duncan Hayward
Director Military Recruiting: GPCAPT Chris Ellison
Deputy Director Recruiting Attraction: WGCDR Fleur James
Recruiting Liaison Officer – Navy: CMDR Phil Smith
Deputy Recruiting Liaison Officer – Navy: LCDR Sarah West
General Manager: Justin Stanic
National Marketing Manager: Zerlina Burns
Navy Brand Portfolio Manager: Anjali Bakaya
Former Navy Brand Portfolio Manager: Jess Goggin
Navy Brand Senior Marketing Officers: Gemma Tait & Liam Walford
Staff Officer Recruiting Attraction – Navy: LEUT Alexandra Morthorpe
Creative Agency: VMLY&R
Chief Creative Officer: Paul Nagy
Group Executive Creative Director: Jake Barrow
Creative Director: Kieran Moroney
Senior Copywriter: Jess Wheeler
Creative: Shane Geffen
Head of Design: Lewis Brown
Designer: Lewis Barnes, Simon Gray
Executive Producer: Rachel Rider
Senior Producer: Stevi Russell
Managing Director: Sarah Bailey
Group Business Directors: Bindy Bassingthwaite & Rhys Thomas
Senior Account Director: Meaghan De Laurier
Account Director: Sarah Latremoille
Senior Account Managers: Alex Aikman, Madi Moorhead & Jen Moffatt
Account Executives: Jess Osrin & Tom Hogan
Production & Post-Production Production Company: DIVISION
Director: Jason Bock
Managing Director & executive Producer: Genevieve Triquet
Producer: Alice Grant
DOP: Jeremy Rouse
Underwater DOP: Rick Rifici
Aerial DOP: Peter Beeh
Production Designer: Lucinda Thomson
Costume Designer: Joanna Mae Park
Casting: Citizen Jane Casting
Offline: The Editors
Editor: Bernard Garry & Lily Davis
Assistant Editor: Shannon Michaels & Liam Riley
Post Producer: Liv Reddy & Charlotte Griffiths
Online: Fin Design VFX
Supervisors: Mikey Brown & Stuart White
Executive VFX Producer: Alastair Stephen
VFX Producer: Isabelle Howarth
Colourist: Fergus Rotherham
Audio Music Supervision: Big Sync Music
Musical Director: Ramesh Sathiah @ MassiveMusic
Composer: Adrian Sergovich, MassiveMusic
Sound Design: Abby Sie @ MassiveMusic
Voiceover Casting: Ralph van Dijk @ Eardrum
Voiceover: Stephen Peacocke & Deborah Mailman
Stills: FLINT
Stills Photographers: Andreas Smetana & David Maurice Smith
Executive Producer: Rachel Henderson
Producer: Petra Valent
Retouching: Cream
Creative Directors: Kieran Moroney & Robyn Bergmann
Social Content:
National Social Media Manager: Marc Unger
Social Media Content Manager: Maria Ngo
Production Company: VAULT
Director: Bill Bleakley
DOP: Samuel Phibbs
Junior Art Director: Andrew Bao
Junior Copywriter: Charlie Dejean
Lead Producer: Mel Herbert
Producer: Maddie Fricker
Senior Account Manager: Madi Moorhead
Photographers: David Maurice Smith & Rod Pilbeam
Editors: Aleksandar Janev, Opie Sayner-Hassall, Sara Glaoua & Brendon Killen
Grade: Peachy Keen
Music: Massive Music
Media : Universal McCann Australian Government team
