SALUTE TRAINER

Silver Spike
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TitleSALUTE TRAINER
BrandJAPAN MARITIME SELF-DEFENSE FORCES
Product / ServiceFORCE RECRUITMENT
CategoryA01. Best Use of Digital PR
EntrantHAKUHODO Tokyo, JAPAN
Entrant Company:HAKUHODO Tokyo, JAPAN
PR/Advertising Agency:HAKUHODO Tokyo, JAPAN

Credits

Name Company Position
Kenta Ikoma HAKUHODO Creative Director/Corywriter
Shota Hatanaka HAKUHODO Creative Director/Planner
Junichi Kurata HAKUHODO Art Director/Designer
Takeshi Muro HAKUHODO PR planner
Hirofumi Nobuta HAKUHODO PRODUCT'S Agency Producer/Producer
Hisako Sudo HAKUHODO PRODUCT'S Photographic Producer
Toru Suzuki Producer
Waki Rokutan HAKUHODO PRODUCT'S Director
Hayato Arakawa HAKUHODO PRODUCT'S Production Manager
Takahiro Kojima HAKUHODO PRODUCT'S DOP
Tomohiro Oguchi HAKUHODO PRODUCT'S Production Manager
Hiroki Oguri HAKUHODO PRODUCT'S Photographer/2nd Camera Operator
Hiroyasu Sakaguchi LUCE Gaffer
Ryusuke Fukushima HAKUHODO PRODUCT'S Editor
Yukako Nomura HAKUHODO PRODUCT'S Assistant Director
Hideyuki Aida IDATEN Programmer
Satoru Higa Programmer
Yosuke Mochizuki Photo Retoucher
JONATHAN HINTON TK-DIGITAL Narrator
Tatsuya Yoshio OZMA PR PR planner
Koshiro Nomura OZMA PR PR planner

The Campaign

The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Forces is an organization which sustains peace in Japan. Due to this fateful mission, hard inner discipline is expected of Self-Defense Forces officers. However, attitudes among the young have drastically changed and many no longer aspire to this profession. Our challenge was to refocus young people’s attention on the Self Defense Forces, and increase the number of applicants. As a solution, we created a mobile training application, SALUTE TRAINER. SALUTE TRAINER allows people to practice a “Salute” of Self-Defense Forces officers. A “Salute” is a very important action that expresses inner discipline in the military forces. We launched SALUTE TRAINER on the anniversary of the Self-Defense Forces. At the same time, we held saluting events at military bases nationwide and produced original goods to support salute training. In addition, the ranks and evaluations of participants were monitored by JMSDF recruiters. Those who reached a certain rank received a recruitment e-mail, and even awards directly from JMSDF officials. SALUTE TRAINER was “STEALTH RECRUITMENT PROJECT”. As a result, 100,000 participants, $3 million worth of free publicity with 0 media costs, No.1 application in the iTunes Apps Store, JMSDF applicants reached 113% compared to the previous year.

The Brief

Our goals were to refocus young people’s attention on the Self Defense Forces, and increase the number of applicants with only a limited budget.

Results

・over 100,000 people participated in salute training. In total, 3 million salutes were performed across the country. ・it generated over $3 million worth of free publicity with 0 media costs. ・It was ranked the No.1 application in the iTunes Apps Store. ・As a result, JMSDF applicants reached 113% compared to the previous year. But most of all, SALUTE TRAINER succeeded in passing the spirit of the JMSDF to the younger generation.

Execution

We created a mobile training application, SALUTE TRAINER. SALUTE TRAINER allows people to practice a “Salute” of Self-Defense Forces officers. We took accurate measurements from the perfect salute and programmed the results into the S ALUTE TRAINER. We launched SALUTE TRAINER on the anniversary of the Self-Defense Forces. At the same time, we held saluting events at military bases nationwide and produced original goods to support salute training. In addition, the ranks and evaluations of participants were monitored by JMSDF recruiters. Those who reached a certain rank received a recruitment e-mail, and even awards directly from JMSDF officials. SALUTE TRAINER was “STEALTH RECRUITMENT PROJECT”.

The Situation

The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Forces is an organization which sustains peace in Japan. Due to this fateful mission, hard inner discipline is expected of Self-Defense Forces officers. However, attitudes among the young have drastically changed and many no longer aspire to this profession. Furthermore, the national budget has been downsized and there were no media costs for recruitment of the JMSDF. So we needed to launch the PR campaign for the recruitment of the younger generation.

The Strategy

Though at first glance they may seem far apart, we wondered: what is something that links the JMSDF and the younger generation? We found one solution to this question. It is an action which everyone has done at least once in their lives. That action is a “Salute”. A “Salute” is a very important action that expresses inner discipline in the military forces. And also, a Salute is a familiar gesture to the civilian public. So we thought that a “Salute” is an element that links the JMSDF and the youger generation.