Navy on submarine recruitment drive with new print campaign via George Patts Y&R, Melbourne
George Patterson Y&R Melbourne commissioned Electric Art to bring to life their Navy recruitment advertising campaign.
The concept created by senior team Ant Simmons and Alex Wadelton, aims to encourage men and women 16-24 years of age to join the Australian Navy as Submariners, with the headline asking the question ‘what will surface’ in you?
The concepts depict the inspirational words Determination, Courage and Confidence emerging from the ocean’s surface in the shape of submarines. Each word is intended to portray the personality traits that can be developed further whilst serving one’s country in the challenging role of a submariner.
The team at Electric Art combined photography, retouching & 3D imagery to build the final images. The first step was to model a Royal Australian Navy Collins class submarine and then compare the rough typography against the real submarine in order to see what topographical tricks and morphs were required to make the type look like a submarine, yet still be readable. Different lighting and oceanic conditions appear in each execution and various angles were explored on each submarine in order to differentiate between the three final images.
Says Electric Art Creative Director Bruce Bigelow: “The Navy job is a great example of how you can create something out of nothing. This campaign demonstrates perfectly how art directors and retouchers can work together to achieve the best possible result, and is a great window into our world at Electric Art.”
27 Comments
The image is brilliantly well executed, but is there a reason the type below and logo is so inconceivably small that I can’t even read it?
Nice one Ant & Alex!
They’ve turned out real nice.
And how are they recruitment ads for Women? What is it about them that specifically talks to a woman? We all want to have confidence etc.
1:10, can you give me a reason why it should be bigger? As a side note, that guy from Electric Art sure has a cool name.
nice work fellas.
I think you answered your own question there 1.16. Amazing looking ads, good stuff.
Really, really well crafted. Average idea.
1:10
If you can’t read that, you shouldn’t be thinking about the navy really…
Nice art EA!
Nice one guys
This idea has been done to death – and recently. Can some junior please put some links up? Thanks
1.25, these ads will directly appeal to women because of the penis shaped ships involved.
Women will subconsciously be attracted to these ads due to their phallic nature, and will therefore be joining the navy in droves.
Gay men will also enjoy these ads. So like the fashion industry, soon our submarines will be filled with women and gay men.
I don’t know how effective a fighting force they’ll be, but they’ll sure have a lot of fun.
Didn’t like it til I bothered to read the headline.
Now I think they’re pretty damn good. Not just an exercise in fancy pants typography.
Nice one Patts.
Is advertising the NZ Navy like having an air guitar “Unplugged” album?
Whoa! Just checked out this work on EA’s website cos these images are too small and the detail in these is incredible. Pity you won’t see any of it in print but my god the crafting is outstanding.
Type award, yes. Art Direction, yes. Idea, yes I think so.
@3.54 LOL GOLD PURE GOLD!!!
Yep, I like em a lot. Simple and stunningly made. Haven’t seen much goo print for a while, so they stand out.
blah
I used to work on Defence at Patts a few years ago (until i was retrenched), so I have good reason to bitch, but I have to say they have turned this once uncreative client around.
The Fleet stuff was excellent, these are excellent. Big striking visual and confident print is good to see.
Maybe it was me that was the problem?
Agree. ADF used to be a shit client. Now they are rocking it.
C’mon, not that good guys.
Love!
Great retouching. Punny line though.
“What will surface as a submariner?”
That slug of letterpress type you ate will surface in your bathtub, by looks of it.
How in hades can any rational person, drunk or sober, imagine these ads are ever going to be even *noticed* by the target audience, let alone engage or persuade them of anything, anything at all?
I have kids in the demographic and yup, they sure spend all their time scouring the web looking for Determination, Courage and Confidence.
This campaign is meant to plant the idea of a Major Lifestyle Change Decision into their noggins and black little hearts. It is supposed to grab them by their privates and give them a wake-up call.
And more — it is supposed to target and appeal to that minuscule percentage of people who could actually endure a claustrophobic lifestyle underwater for weeks, maybe months on end! Give me Sir Ernest Shackleton’s 1900 recruitment ad in the classifieds over this any day. Or almost anything else.
This is like motivational posters in a lunatic asylum.
(Unless it’s all a piss-take, in which case, my apologies. Actually *of course* it’s a piss-take — lead type can’t float.)
12.37am.
1- You are weird and creepy for writing that at that time of night. Get a life and get up to date with your views on advertising and youth.
9.07 Why are you at work before 915?
12,37am
Totally agree.
These ads won’t get noticed by the target let alone connect with them.
It’s painfully polished but a complete waste of tax dollars.
Praise the craft all u want but I predict a painful meeting with the client when there are no hard recruitment numbers to back up the dosh pissed into it.