New RAF Recruitment Ad.
 

Just looking for anyones thoughts on the new recruitment ad that is on the tv these days, in particular the the image of a caring sharing modern Air Force that is portrayed and how this fits in with the Trades Description Act 1968.

Cheers

Haven't seen it myself, but my wife says its cr@p - says it all really! Pity, the Air Force has never been any good at recruitment videos.

I haven't seen the RAF advertisement, but it reminds me of the military recruiting ads that ran in Australia many years ago.

The selected advertising agency decided to wipe any footage of soldiers in DPM or camoflage clothing of any description, no face paint, no muddy boots, and definitely NO GUNS.

Instead they wanted everyone in shirt and ties, tapping away at computers, earning degrees, laughing and drinking in the Mess, and playing volleyball (not all at once).

As a result many recruits expressed shock and horror when told to wear DPM's and to fire guns. They wanted to work in the Army that was shown on TV. :rolleyes:

The new advertisement is the greatest work of ficition since The Lord of the Rings!

Very funny though!!

Akula, is this the ad that features a guy running in his spare time, then it goes to clips of harrier pilots and other assorted trades, then ends with the same guy now sitting in the open hatch of a SAR Sea King? - if this is the one you mean, then yes it isn't up to much.

I thought another cr@p ad was the one with a single herc and harrier darting about the Balkan countryside, giving you the impression they are about to conduct some really warry stuff... then at the last minute the herc drops a load of aid to swarms of villagers - with someone shouting "THERE IS HOPE":yuk: :yuk:

In contrast though, the one they showed a couple of years ago was quite good. A Tornado(?) in a flat spin and a clock counting down to impact with terra firma. Then at the last minute the fast-jet hero recovers and climbs away - and a simple caption states "NO TIME WASTERS PLEASE"... with the digital readout on 00.07 secs to impact. - Quite cool I thought.

Training Risky,
No not the running man but the poor chap with a nick in his finger(a sliver of wood I think) working in a supermarket, a bit abstract I know but when you see it in all it's glory you will be truly astounded:ooh: :ooh: :ooh:

Cheers

Do they use real servicemen for the recruiting photos/ films?

Do they get paid royalties/ repeat fees?

best one ever had to be the pizza delivery boy on the moped


"Jump jet Pilot" reads the caption

.......if he'd joined the Navy!

Old ad
 

the recruiting ad I used to like featured a young lad at school, arms outstretched in the playground running around like an aeroplane (like I used to do..ahem) and the caption read;

Who ever used to play Chartered Accountants at school?

Brilliant

Sadly, in todays climate, there is a certain irony in it

From a marketing point of view one asks oneself a very simple question, "Would this ad make anyone want to join the Air Force?" In my opinion its a big NO, ergo it is money down the drain as far as the MOD is concerned but trebles all round at the ad agency! For those readers familiar with the ad, who the f**k wants to feel valued and cared for, you join up to do that for others, for a challenge AND BECAUSE ITS HARD, not to get a splinter taken out of your finger. You can't run a service where each working day is preceded with a group hug and an atuning session to get in touch with our feelings. Training Risky, agree with all your comments.

I haven't seen this particular work of fiction yet - perhaps its only being shown in certain regions? Or at target audiences on the Cartoon Network?

A few fast jets thundering overhead at low level is the best recruiting advert there is. In my case it was a blue-noting Hunter over my prep school. "That looks fun", I thought. It turned out to be just that.

But nowadays it's so rare to see any RAF aircraft at all - particularly at low level:(

i would love to see service recruiters having to tell the whole truth to potential recruits.

What's wrong with:
"Want to kill bad guys and blow their stuff up?":E

The problem with us all pronouncing on recruiting adverts is that we all tend to be outside the target audience (16-24 year olds), have been in the RAF (or are still in) and think we know best. I, for one, do not know what makes an 18 year old tick - I know what made me tick at that age, but life and youth moves on. The RAF ran a very "bland" recruiting advert 2 years ago ( lots of pictures and film of people in an office) which loads of people said was c@£p - but it was the best ad the RAF ever had, despite the fact that there were no fast jets. Let's also not forget that the RAF is trying to recruit personnel to all branches and trades, not just aircrew. For some 42000 personnel (approx) flying a plane is not what they joined for! Overall, DofR do a good job and have managed to meet most recruiting targets recently. I know we all like to think we know best, but give credit where credit is due - the recruiters know who they are trying to recruit. The fact that we are all old and kn@&#ered is not their problem!

You may be right, Quid Pro Quo, but who can tell ? Are recruits specifically asked at any stage whether they were influenced by a recruitng advertisement ? I rather doubt it. I also doubt that DPR itself slaves away with coloured inks and Brownie cameras producing this unrealistic material. More likely this is undertaken by contracted advertising agencies who, unsurprisingly, have scant knowledge of the Services and who's bread and butter is in the world of commerce.

Are you talking about the ad. I've just seen, the one with the guy in the supermarket where they close it down because he has a splinter in his finger or something?

I was watching that wondering what the heck it was an advert for....!

"But... Where were the aeroplanes going VOOOOOMMM!!!?"

What UTTER cr@p that new RAF advert is. I've just seen it on UK TV; funnily enough the next advert break had an ad for the TA. Far, far better. What on earth do the pony-tailed tw@t advertising luvvies think they're doing producing such utter bilge?

And why no aeroplanes or helicopters? Or is it just that the UK so ashamed of its ageing RAF aircraft and prefers to portray an image of a Royal Admin Force.......

Even 'Aerocrats' was better in the late '60s!!

Quite right, QPQ. A bunch of cynical old knackers are probably not the best people to decide what sort of advertising appeals to young people. Ad people test and research their ideas among samples of their target audience.

I find it ironic that the central point of the adverts to to entice people to join an employer that 'values you'!

I do find it slightly odd that the ad gives no indication whatsoever of what you could find yourself doing in the RAF. I'll admit I'm not part of the target audience but it seems a bit of a waste of time if all it does is get a load of people to trapse down to the local recruiting office and then find out that there's nothing they want to do in the air force. Surely it'd be better to attract less people to the recruiting office, but who at least have an idea of a trade they want to follow or whatever. Sort of a quality over quantity thing.
You've got to wonder about the false advertising angle as well.