The Danish Defence wanted to attract ambitious bachelors from Universities to apply for the new officer’s programs. The challenge was that an education in the Danish Defence was not at all part of the bachelor’s mindset. For them, the Danish Defence smelled too much of bullets and rigid hierarchy – all of which were in stark contrast to both the academic education they were pursuing, as well as the future dreams of a management job in the private sector. At Ogilvy, it was our task to engage with the audience by telling a story about real leadership. In order to get the attention of a well-educated target audience, we needed to come up with a solution that spoke to the mindset of a future leader. Thus, we told a story that redefined the perception of The Danish Defence.
Ogilvy delivered engaging content in a seamless interface with easy access to information. Something future leaders could relate to. Ogilvy developed a campaign site explaining in detail about the different officer’s programs within the air force, navy, and army. The information was also integrated with short films showcasing what it’s like to be a student within the Danish Defence. The films were shot from a point-of-view perspective providing an exclusive insight into the life of a future officer in the Danish Defence. The UX-design had to be intuitive and interactive in order to engage with the audience. We also developed a digital CV-tool, where the target audience could compare the opportunities of a master’s degree with an Officer’s title. The tool was an example of how we engaged with the audience instead of merely communicating. Through an effective digital customer journey, we managed to develop and execute a digital strategy that repositioned the Danish Defence as an institution with possibilities for young future leaders The Officer’s campaigns ran three years in a row providing great results for the Danish Defence. A report made by Epinion showed that the general awareness of the Officer’s program went from 35% in 2016 to 73% in 2018. The increase in awareness led to growth in the number of applicants. Adjusted to target index 100, the Officer’s campaign realized index 226 in 2016/17 and index 228 2017/18. In other words, the campaign provided the basis for significant growth in the number of applicants two years in a row.
