Background

The Republic of Singapore Navy aims to increase female participation in the Navy to 15% by 2040. Efforts towards achieving that goal have been largely ineffective, with incorrect perceptions regarding a career in the Navy being a major obstacle; for example, 58% of women do not believe that they have the right physical fitness or condition for the Navy, and 46% do not feel they have the right personality for the Navy. With that, the campaign set out to change attitudes of Gen Z women towards the Navy and encourage them to explore it as a career by attending the Navy’s career seminar for women?

Describe the strategy

To do so, we spoke women in the Navy and Gen Z women. Through conversations with women in the Navy, we found they had vastly different personalities, interests and attitudes, and were far from the preconceived notions of what society – and even fellow women – perceived them to be. Instead, what they had in common were the traits of resilience, tenacity and self-belief which helped them grow into the individuals they are today. We also learnt Gen Z women are modern, empowered, and less likely to allow themselves to be restricted by gender expectations. And beyond proving themselves, they were looking for meaningful growth, both professional and personal. The Navy could offer everything they were seeking – growth, a challenging but rewarding career, and an organisation that sees them not for who they are, but what they are capable of – but first, they needed a change in perspective.

Describe the execution

Sent out with a mandate of unleashing the favourite weapon in every marketer’s arsenal – the carousel post – we maximised the opportunity for interaction it offers and produced something more thoughtful, woke and intellectually provocative to appeal to the position, ambition and instincts the Navy sought from women applicants. And in a time where brands struggle to get audiences to reach the end of carousel posts, we attempted – and succeeded – in doing the impossible. We made them swipe from front to back, and back again by turning the medium into the message. We created a carousel post that delivers diametrically opposite meanings when read from left to right, and then in reverse, from right to left. This captured two contrasting points-of-view – a dated stereotype Gen Z women find themselves pushing against, and a modern, empowering one from the Navy welcoming those armed with attitude and self-belief.

List the results

A simple execution powered by a powerful message, the work was lauded as a great example of interactive and contributed to some impressive results: • Over 870,000 impressions generated • Registrations rose 52% vs. previous year • Close to 500 new leads generated • Success in shifting perceptions around a career in the Navy for women: o 6 in 10 Gen Z women now believe the Navy offers equal career opportunities (previously 3 in 10) o 6 in 10 Gen Z women now believe that women with vastly different personalities are able to do well in the Navy and that career advancement is not dependent on physical fitness and strength o 6 in 10 Gen women now believe that a career in the Navy gives them the opportunity for meaningful growth o 6 in 10 Gen Z women are now open to embarking on a career in the Navy