CLIENT
Marine Corps Recruiting Command
Mr. Eric Lindsay, Diversity Advertising Specialist
AGENCY
Herman Morales, SVP, Group Account Director
Rebecca Williams, SVP, Executive Creative Director
Dora Rivera, Group Planning Director
Peter Brown, Account Director
Susanna Tam, Account Supervisor
Devin Heatley, Copywriter
Chris Cogswell, Art Director
Ben Marshall, Art Director
Jacob Williams, Producer
Mindshare
JWT
SUMMARY
Circumstances combined to create an extremely challenging recruitment environment for the U.S. Marine Corps among African American young men. Using a narrative, testimonial format ('Real Talk'), active duty AA Marines shared real-life experiences in order to illuminate the positive aspects of life in the Corps, and 'realness' was delivered in a variety of ways through an integrated marketing communications effort. The 'Real Talk' approach included TV ('Leap'), Direct Mail, Events, a Calendar, and custom Viral Videos/Webisodes. All objectives were exceeded, and the campaign is considered a dramatic success.
