Royal Navy hands £5m recruitment drive to WCRS

by David Tiltman, Marketing 14-Jun-06

The Royal Navy has ended one of the longest agency relationships in Whitehall by axing RKCR/Y&R ahead of a £5m recruitment campaign.

It has selected WCRS to handle the integrated drive following a pitch
through the COI, ending its association with RKCR/Y&R after more than 20
years. It has chosen Carat to handle its communications planning,

replacing Mediaedge:cia.

The Navy is understood to be seeking greater stand-out from its
recruitment activity. Director of naval recruiting Commodore Jim Patrick
complained of 'an increasingly competitive recruiting environment' when
the pitch was launched last month.

Its campaign will target 16- to 24-year-olds by demonstrating the range
of careers available in the Navy. Ads will give a phone number and email
address potential recruits can use to sign up. It is thought the work
will appear in men's lifestyle media.

The win is Carat's first big communications planning brief for the COI
since it was appointed to its roster in February.

Both RKCR and Media-edge took part in the pitch. Two other teams - Naked
with Clemmow Hornby Inge and Universal McCann with DFGW - were
involved.

Last year the Navy ran email and online ad activity created by Glue
London to promote jobs in its air fleet.