U.S. Navy Employs Unconventional Tactic with 7 Brands to Support Its Special Ops Recruitment

This past summer, before the Olympic Games in Paris, U.S. Navy Special Operations officially sponsored USA Water Polo. “The sponsorship is a natural fit,” explained Rear Admiral James P. Waters, commander, Navy Recruiting Command, which oversees all Navy marketing efforts. “Our country’s top water polo athletes are committed to the intense training and teamwork required to develop the physical and mental toughness needed to win in the water – the same characteristics integral to success in the Navy’s elite Special Ops.”

The Sailors who compromise the Special Ops community are indeed the most elite military force in all of the world and include Aviation Rescue Swimmers (AIRRs), Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technicians (EODs), Navy Divers (NDs), Special Operations Independent Duty Corpsman (SOIDC), Special Operators (SEALs) and Special Warfare Combat Crewman (SWCCs). These Sailors are often involved in covert operations, and their stealthiness is critical to mission success.

Recruiting future Special Ops Sailors is a Navy priority, and Admiral Waters and his leadership team recently charged VML – the Navy Recruiting Command’s Marketing and Advertising contractor with developing a campaign to reach those who might meet the requirements to join the Navy’s Special Ops. 

In response, VML designed a multi-page print campaign that will run in a single issue of SkipShot magazine, which is published by USA Water Polo. The campaign emphasises the covert nature of the Navy’s Special Ops by hiding Special Ops Sailors within seven different brands.

For example, a SEAL can be spotted hidden within an Aflac ad about how the leading provider of supplemental health insurance in the U.S. helps with expenses health insurance doesn't cover. At the same time, a Diver is camouflaged in a Greater Miami Visitor and Convention Bureau promotion for the arts. A Special Warfare Combat Crew is subtly featured in a worksite equipment ad for United Rentals, while a SOIDC can be found parachuting into a TruGreen campaign about dream lawns. Additionally, an EOD Tech is cleverly placed within a National Disaster Search Dog Foundation call for donations, and an Air Rescue Swimmer can be found inside a Leidos ad. “This unique approach highlights the adaptability and versatility of our elite forces, showing that they can seamlessly integrate into any mission, anywhere,” said Admiral Waters.

The eighth ad in the campaign is for the Navy and features the headline, “Did You See Them All?” The ad explains how seven Special Ops Sailors are hidden in ads throughout the magazine, and also directs readers to Navy.com, where they can receive clues to help locate the Sailors.

“Recruiting for Navy Special Operations demanded an approach as unconventional as the missions these Sailors undertake,” added Ryan Blum, VML chief creative officer. "Putting this together could have been a logistical nightmare—aligning eight different brands, each with its own unique goals, in just a few weeks. But the idea sparked excitement, turning what seemed impossible into a seamless collaboration.”

"It's been wonderful having the U.S. Navy Special Operations a part of the Junior Olympics the last two years, their presence at the world's largest water polo tourney only raises the game. Now our community gets an extra bonus as we bring this elite group to the pages of SkipShot magazine. Our members always welcome a challenge and VML did a very good job at putting them to the test!,” said Michaela Spector, director of marketing USA Water Polo 

America’s Navy entered a partnership with USA Water Polo as part of a national recruitment strategy.  VML, the contractor supporting Navy Recruiting Command marketing and advertising, negotiated independently with participating commercial brands to procure advertising space at no cost to the Navy or government.