Latest British Army ad extols the benefits of failure

The campaign is the fifth iteration of the sometimes controversial This Is Belonging series created by Karmarama, and continues to emphasise the emotional and psychological challenges that soldiers face

The British Army’s new ad is unlikely to elicit the kind of ire that the 2018 version of its recruitment campaign provoked, with posters including one that stated ‘Snowflakes, we need you and your compassion’. Yet it sits broadly within the same sphere of messaging, with an emphasis on the ways in which the Army has changed in recent years to acknowledge the emotional needs of its recruits.

The campaign features a TV spot showing a recruit struggling during a training march, and looks at the theme of failure, pointing out that rather than being a reason to quit, it can make you stronger. Launched today are the TV spot and radio ads.

The focus on failure this year came from research that states that 76% of young people admit to feeling held back by fear of failure when taking on new challenges.

“At some point in our lives we all fail, says Nik Studzinski, CCO at Karmarama. “How we react to that failure is the important thing. The Army prides itself on being a safe place to fail, because failure is an opportunity to learn…. By highlighting this crucial part of Army training, we’re taking our This is Belonging campaign in a new direction, looking to build on the record levels of recruitment we achieved last year.”

Credits:
Agency: Karmarama
CCO: Nik Studzinski
Production company: Academy
Director: Frederic Planchon