The Public House has rolled out a new campaign for the Irish Defence Forces, its first campaign since picking up the account last year.
The campaign, which will run across TV, VOD, OOH, Social, Radio, and Press, encourages people to ignore the little voice inside their heads which sews the seeds of self-doubt.
The campaign eschews the usual things seen in campaigns all over the world for clients of this nature: action, armament, and adrenaline.
The suite of communications is designed to replace that nagging doubt – which so often forces potential Defence Forces candidates to self-exclude, with the empowering knowledge that ‘YES YOU CAN’.
Within the media mix, some outdoor placements forgo the traditional logos, lockups, and CTAs, to allow women and girls to see the purest form of the message: “Yes, you can, you are good enough.” According to the agency, “it is simple, human, and culturally urgent, designed to stop passersby in their tracks and replace hesitation with resolve.”
“This campaign isn’t just about recruitment numbers, it’s about representation and possibility,” said Kerrie Sweeney, managing director of The Public House. “The insight was simple but so profound – women aren’t opting out because they’re incapable, they’re opting out because the self-doubt is so loud. It was an absolute pleasure to work with clients who genuinely want to understand their audience more.”
In a problem not unique to Ireland, female recruitment has long been a difficult ask for the Defence Forces. This campaign puts women in the foreground – and features a host of inspiring female members of the Defence Forces, across the Army, Navy, and Air Corps.
Speaking on the campaign, Lieutenant Commander Órlaith Gallagher said: “The importance of this campaign cannot be overstated, and we’re extremely proud of the standard of work produced by The Public House. It was a pleasure to be pushed beyond our creative comfort zone, resulting in a campaign that not only aims to recruit into the Defence Forces, but also speaks to important themes within our society. This was a fresh space for the Defence Forces and reflective of the progressive, positive changes within our organisation.”
The campaign was made in collaboration with multi-award-winning director Angie Bird, Irish production company Bodacious, led by executive producer Max Brady, Jess Felton at GABHA, and one of the top photographers in Ireland, Rich Davenport.
Credits
Agency: The Public House
Executive Creative Director:Rob Maguire
Managing Director: Kerrie Sweeney
Strategy Director: Brónagh O’Donovan
Head of Design/Creative Director: Eimear O’Sullivan
Associate Creative Director: Danny Cullen
Copywriter: Paddy Dunne
Art Director:Ellen Jones
Art Director: Delphine Perret
Senior Designer: Trevor Nolan
Designer: Molly Devlin
Motion Graphics Designer: Kevin Hughes
Account Director: Gianna DiGiorgio
Account Director: Annie McBride
Agency Producer: Karen Ronaldson
Client: Irish Defence Forces
Lt Col Maeve O’ Grady
Lt Cdr Órlaith Gallagher
Comdt (OF-3) Ryan Van Haeften
Sgt Tony Farrell
Cpl Lee Bracken
Production Company: Bodacious
Executive Producer: Max Brady
Director: Angie Bird
DOP: Kia Fern Little
First Assistant Director: Charlie Endean
Photographer: Rich Davenport
Retoucher: Matt Brewin
Post Production Company: Gabha Studios
Executive Producer Post Production: Jess Felton
Editor: Lee Hickey
Colour Grade: Andy Francis
Music Composition: Folding Waves
Sound Design: Simon Bird, Folding Waves
Media: Core:
Executive Producer: Max Brady
Director: Angie Bird
DOP: Kia Fern Little
First Assistant Director: Charlie Endean
Photographer: Rich Davenport
Retoucher: Matt Brewin
Post Production Company: Gabha Studios
Executive Producer Post Production: Jess Felton
Editor: Lee Hickey
