Feast Puts Emphasis on the 'Inner Spark' with a Different Approach to Military Recruitment

Toronto agency Feast has created a recruitment campaign for the Department of National Defence and Canadian Armed Forces highlighting the power of human values.

Built around a series of scenarios featuring civilians, ‘This is For You’ demonstrates how traits such as showing compassion to help others and a desire to be a part of something more meaningful, combined with innate problem-solving skills, can make someone a perfect candidate for a career in the armed forces. The campaign is aimed at 18 to 34 job seekers and those contemplating a career change who might not have previously considered a military career.

The campaign intends to show that the Canadian Armed Forces offers various career opportunities specifically designed to appeal to a new generation of Canadians who want their life to have purpose and meaning. It demonstrates that a person’s distinct abilities and qualities can not only be strengths in everyday life, but are also transferable to a rewarding career with the Canadian Armed Forces.      

‘This is For You’ is anchored by a 90-second spot directed by Feast creative director Ante Kovac that features seven scenarios in which civilians use their innate empathy, problem-solving skills, and ingenuity to help others.

The spot highlights stories of people who have a strong inner desire to make a difference in the lives of others. The scenarios include friends who jump at an opportunity to help protect a community from an impending flood, a woman helping a young boy stranded in the middle of a lake back to shore, and a soccer player tending to an injured player on the opposing team. The spot ends by showing the uniform of the various environments of the Canadian Armed Forces being woven into their civilian attire, accompanied by the voiceover “This Is For You.” Visual effects for the spot were created by Alter Ego.

“We wanted to highlight the Canadian Armed Forces uniform as a symbol of strength, resilience, passion, and humanity,” said Feast co-founder and creative director Rob Vena. “Conceptually, the growth of the patterns and texture of military fabric alludes to the development of one’s potential to make an impact with the CAF.”

The creative approach is also specifically intended to underscore how the Canadian Armed Forces relates to the everyday lives of people who might not ordinarily believe the organisation has something for them, he added. “It’s an approach that provides greater creative flexibility and the ability to create stories that feel relatable to the target audience.”

The video is intended to demonstrate the “inner spark” that exists in everyone, said Kovac. “It’s portraying the character-defining moments in everyday situations that make people great candidates for a career in the Canadian Armed Forces,” he said. “We wanted to show that we all have the potential to make an impact, no matter what form it may take.”    

The fully integrated campaign is running throughout the year across cinema, broadcast, YouTube pre-roll and social, supported by static and digital out-of-home.