The U.S. Navy Hopes to Reach Gen Z With Its New 'Forged by the Sea' Campaign

The U.S. Navy is launching a new recruitment campaign around the annual Army-Navy college football game Saturday.

Two new broadcast spots set to debut during the game introduce a new tagline, “Forged by the sea.” The campaign marks the Navy’s first work from Young & Rubicam, which was appointed its lead creative agency following a 2015 review, and is aimed at the Navy’s primary recruiting target—Gen Zers.

“The Navy is now recruiting young men and women of the centennial generation, who have different goals, expectations, and media-consumption habits than their millennial predecessors,” said commander of Navy Recruiting Command Pete Garvin in a statement. “As such, the Navy recognized the necessity to develop a new marketing campaign and digital-heavy media strategy to more effectively reach, educate and inspire the best and brightest prospective recruits.”

The “Forged by the Sea” tagline appears to fill a dual role in the 60-second spot “Sea to Stars,” simultaneously celebrating the Navy’s history and its purported character- and career-building benefits.

“For more than 200 years, our sailors have been tested and shaped by the sea, becoming better versions of themselves. Our new tagline perfectly captures the transformative impact the Navy and the sea has on our sailors,” Garvin said.

In addition to “Sea to Stars” and a 30-second broadcast ad running Saturday called “Game,” the campaign includes a series of social media initiatives, including a “Sea It Live” second-screen experience via Facebook Live and augmented-reality filters on the Navy Recruiting Command’s Facebook page.

The campaign also includes a “Forged by the Sea” print ad in the Army-Navy game program, digital signs throughout the stadium and on billboards, and Philadelphia subway ads. The Navy’s parachute team will also carry “Forged by the Sea” banners as they land on the field before kickoff, and Navy cheerleaders will carry flags with the tagline. A Navy VR truck parked near the game will offer fans the chance to experience a virtual-reality Navy Seals rescue mission.

The campaign will roll out through March, when the Navy will launch a fully integrated campaign, primarily on digital and social media platforms.

CREDITS

Client: U.S. Navy
Agency: Y&R
Title: “Sea to Stars”

Chief Creative Officer: Leslie Sims
Executive Creative Director: Ryan Blum
Senior Copywriter: Megan Lee
Art Director: Kolby Osborne
Senior Art Director: Hans Schenck
Senior Copywriter: Anthony DiMichele
Executive Director of Integrated Production: Greg Lotus
Executive Producer: Mathieu Shrontz
Executive Producer/ Head of Music: Lauriana Zuguala
Freelance Music Producer: Theresa Notortomaso
Senior Business Manager: Erin Levine
Print Production Manager: Michael Dunn
Print Producer: Tom Powderly
Global Client Lead: Ken Dowling
Account Director: Rebecca Zeits
Account Executive: Justin Bateman

Agency: VML
Copywriter: Dustin Thomas
Art Director: Hayley Efird

Production Company: MJZ
President: David Zander
Director: Rupert Sanders
Executive Producer: Kate Leahy
Producer: Adriana Cebada Mora
Director of Photography: Dariusz Wolski

Editorial Company: Work Editorial
Editor: Neil Smith
Senior Cutting Assistant: Theo Mercado
Assistant Editor: Trevor Myers
Executive Producer: Erica Thompson
Producer: Jamie Lynn Perritt

Music Company: Human
Composer & Creative Lead: Andy Bloch
Producer: Craig Caniglia

Sound Design: Trinitite Inc.
Sound Designer: Brian Emrich

Postproduction Company: MPC LA
Creative Director: Michael Gregory
VFX supervisor, lead compositor: Jim Spratling
CG Lead: Josh Hatton
Colorist: Mark Gethin
Color Producer: Rebecca Boorsma
Executive Producer: Elexis Stearn
Producer: Jamie Loudon
Production Coordinator: Madeline Austin Kulat

Audio House: Heard City
Engineer: Keith Reynaud
Managing Director: Gloria Pitagorsky

Agency: Y&R
Title: “Game”

Chief Creative Officer: Leslie Sims
Executive Creative Director: Ryan Blum
Senior Copywriter: Megan Lee
Art Director: Kolby Osborne
Copywriter: Bruce Jacobson
Art Director: Alan Vladusic
Executive Director of Integrated Production: Greg Lotus
Executive Producer: Mathieu Shrontz
Executive Producer/ Head of Music: Lauriana Zuguala
Freelance Music Producer: Theresa Notortomaso
Senior Business Manager: Erin Levine
Print Production Manager: Michael Dunn
Print Producer: Tom Powderly

Global Client Lead: Ken Dowling
Account Director: Rebecca Zeits
Account Executive: Justin Bateman
Miguel Mateo: Account Executive

Production Company: MJZ
President: David Zander
Director: Rupert Sanders
Executive Producer: Kate Leahy
Producer: Adriana Cebada Mora
Director of Photography: Dariusz Wolski

Editorial Company: Work Editorial
Editor: Neil Smith
Senior Cutting Assistant: Theo Mercado
Assistant Editor: Trevor Myers
Executive Producer: Erica Thompson
Producer: Jamie Lynn Perritt

Music Company: MAS Music and Strategy
Executive Producer: James Alvich
Senior Producer: Joey Reyes
Composer: Eric Hachikian

Sound Design: Henryboy
Sound Designer: Bill Chesley
Producer: Kate Gibson

Audio House: Heard City
Engineer: Keith Reynaud
Managing Director: Gloria Pitagorsky

Erik Oster

@ErikDOster erik.oster@adweek.com Erik Oster is an agencies reporter for Adweek.