New Navy Advert

[FAAjon]

Has anybody seen the new RN advert? What do you think about it? Its been a while since I've seen an RAF advert. But the Army ones dont stop. Any reason why the RAF & RN ones are not show for long? Money?

[Always_broken_in_wilts]

Have'nt seen it yet but does it feature a barrel and a queue:E

[will fly for food 06]

Much better than any raf one, i wonder if they would employ me if i rang them.

[Always_broken_in_wilts]

Probably will depend on whether you are a "puter" or a "taker" if you get my drift:E

[timex]

Royal had a pretty good one on TV for a while..........:ok: :ok:

[Taffer]

Is this the new ad with the Merlin pilot and obs. having a few drinks in a sunny place (not the Middle East) and giving it the usual P vs.O banter (stick monkey, map reader, etc.)?

I thought it was quite good - focus on the good bits of the RN (flying), and miss the negatives (deployments, fisheads).

Quite surprised to see it, as I thought the RN TV ad budget had been cut almost to zero for '07.

Much better than that short film they made for schools week............much, much better.

[JAG3]

I haven't seen the advert yet but I have looked at their new careers website and its very impressive. This is something which really p!$$es me off about the RAF. The fact that they never seem to advertise which I feel is extremely ignorant for people wanting to join-they never show an interest in recruiting candidates whereas the navy has already done this with a new website and the fact the FAA regular visit schools around the country looking for people to join the FAA.

Does the RAF not ''need'' applicants and why is it they show so much ignorance?

[John Farley]

JAG 3

Regardless of country or profession I have noticed that the best vacancies are seldom ‘advertised’.

Some employers - especially if they have only one or two very special slots to fill and have no need for continuous recruitment - may use headhunters to produce a high quality short list on their behalf.

Others – such as the RAF – have quite a few annual slots to fill but are faced with many more really high quality applicants than they can possibly need. In such a situation they spend their money on developing the best possible assessment programmes.

Sorry if common sense pisses you off.

[Tourist]

John.

That may have been the case in the past, but the huge pool of applicants from which the military traditionally creams off the best few has shrunk to a puddle.

Increasing the size of the puddle might be worth a bit of advertising

[John Farley]

T

If I am out of date I apologise. Do your comments apply to aircrew today as well as other jobs?

J

[Pontius Navigator]

JF,

You are not wrong. There is a sufficiency of high quality applicants to slots even though there is a significant increase in slots this year.

Ratty,

Rest assured at least one President of the Board knows and also has a fair idea of the person to whom you referred.

One thing about this board is that the newbie often has no idea of the credibility or connections of people who are regular contributors here. For instance I know FV better from these boards than when I knew him 37 years ago - now that should give a clue :)

[anotherthing]

Tourist - I am with your argument 100% - and even if the crabs claim they are overbourne with high quality applicants, in this day and age, a little money spent on PR is good - it keeps Joe Public reminded of what the Forces are about.

I left several years ago and now work for reputedly one of the best companies in the world in my trade... we have an unbeliebvably high amount of applicants and the start of application to finishing training chop rate is extremely high - however, Joe Public has absolutely no comprehension about what we do, even though if we chose to strike for even 1 day, the country would come to a standstill.

We have issues in our company at the moment, but we won't get public support because of their ignorance as to our task because of very poor PR - that's why I think that the RN/RAF/Army should advertise, even if they have lots of applicants - it keeps those who are not interested in joining up aware of the good work that our Forces do

[pulse1]

a little money spent on PR is good - it keeps Joe Public reminded of what the Forces are about.


Isn't that what the Red Arrows are for?

Unfortunately, the constant drip feed of news reports from Iraq and Afghanistan show us what the Forces are really about at the moment.

[JAG3]

Exactly what I mean 'Anotherthing'
Most of my friends have very little knowledge on what the RAF or armed forces get upto and the only way to reach that audience is through the TV I feel. Is this not safeguarding the future of the RAF by igniting a little interest. Seems a better way to spend money than on an illegal war, but thats another story and its not the RAF's fault.

[anotherthing]

pulse1

To be frank - NO!

The Red Arrows are not what the RAF are really about - you admit so yourself in your own post Isn't that what the Red Arrows are for?

Unfortunately, the constant drip feed of news reports from Iraq and Afghanistan show us what the Forces are really about

Joe Public looks at the Red Arrows, admires the display of skill, then moves onto the next thing - there is little or no connection by the public between the Reds and operational matters.

As for the constant 'drip feed' - this is not the type of PR you want. The Forces are working bloody hard doing the best of a sh:mad: t job, but this, in the publics eyes, is an unpopular war, which was started under false pretences.

The troops out there are toiling away, whilst the politicians back here grab headlines due to ineptitude etc etc.

The Forces need positive spin, the PR offices need to be proactive, IMHO

[FAAjon]

Just seen the new Navy careers site, and its very impressive. The RN seem to be leaving the RAF careers site behind. Aswell as the websites in general.

[Tourist]

Just saw the advert with the Merlin Pilot and Obs.

Why couldn't they use real aircrew, instead of hiring overweight, unconvincing actors who don't look like they should be allowed to be in charge of a car!?

[JAG3]

Surely these guys are real aircrew because the same people are used in the intro to the new website, have similar debates who is more important and it also states how long they have been in service for.

[anotherthing]

Tourist -

I've been out for about 6 years, but that description sounds spot on from what I can remember :}

Still got the gut 6 years on

[Tourist]

Jag.
You are so naive about the cynical world of advertising.

The "observer" will have been chosen to appeal to the short chubby people of the world, and the "pilot" will be the RN's answer to the RAF's gay recruiting drive.

[greenhaven]

Tourist,

As both 'stars' will undoubtedly read this when they get back to work, they'll be dead chuffed to read your comments - although the banter they're going to get in the crewroom will be far worse!!

[bad livin']

FAAJon, agreed. Shame the careers site is so stuffed with spelling errors.:=

[FAAjon]

FAAJon, agreed. Shame the careers site is so stuffed with spelling errors.:=

Well you can't have everythign:p

[pulse1]

anotherthing,

Just for the record, I was not suggesting that the Reds was what the RAF was all about. I was asking if PR is what the Reds are for. If they are not to inspire young people to join and make the rest of us feel good about the RAF, then what else are they for?

The latest RN advert is surely designed to do something similarfor the Navy.

[Always_broken_in_wilts]

Just seen it on the box. Quite a clever hook to it with the usual pilot/crewman banter................. just a bit confused why they never showed the faces of the two guys they were obviously chatting up:E

[FAAjon]

Just seen it on the box. Quite a clever hook to it with the usual pilot/crewman banter................. just a bit confused why they never showed the faces of the two guys they were obviously chatting up:E

:} They don't want to show the 'perks' of the job too soon:p:ooh::eek: