Royal Navy campaign highlights varied role of engineers

Engine is behind new recruitment ad for the Royal Navy

By Creative Salon

29 June 2022

The Royal Navy is launching a powerful new TV recruitment campaign focussing on the ways in which being a Royal Navy Engineer is about much more than just ‘fixing things’.

The film focuses on the choice young people could have when entering the job market, a regular 9-5, or maybe something more exciting.

The ad, created by agency Engine Creative, called ‘The Interview’, follows real Royal Navy engineering technician Melanie as she is shown around an office by a new potential boss. The everyday work life in a normal office is juxtaposed with action shots of helicopters, team work, diving, sports with colleagues and the general excitement of an unpredictable and challenging job. Melanie then ditches fax machines, calculators and awkward office chat for adventure, fulfilment and satisfaction.

The film versions run at 60 seconds and 30 seconds and will appear for five months starting on June 20th on TV, online and on social media platforms.

Paul Colley, Head of Marketing, Recruitment & Attraction, Royal Navy, said: “These recruitment ads really encapsulate the action that takes place for our Royal Navy engineers. The teams are close and lively, the work is different every day and there really is nothing that compares to working in an environment that changes all the time.”

David Dearlove, Creative Director at Engine Creative, said: “This advert is the next in the series of Engine’s ‘Made in the Royal Navy’ campaign. However, whereas previous adverts have featured Navy recruits talking about the choices that led them to the Navy, this piece of work, for the first time, dramatises them. Max’s deft direction brings this to life, playfully jumping between the humdrum of the office and the excitement of life in the Royal Navy.

Engine Creative’s creative director on the campaign was David Dearlove, the creatives were Pete Ioulianou and Ollie Agius. The film was directed by Max Fisher.

Campaign credits:

Creative Director David Dearlove

Senior Creative Pete Ioulianou

Senior Creative Ollie Agius

Producer Georgina Moxey

Strategy Director Nicola Dyball

Client Managing Director Ed Norrington

Senior Account Director Chris Moger

Project Manager Sam Towerton

Production Company Knucklehead

Director Max Fisher

Producer Francis Mildmay-White