LONDON, UK — The Royal Navy is reaching out to young people who thrive on pushing themselves as hard as they can in a new campaign for the Royal Marine Commandos, created by creative collective House 337.
It is only people with this state of mind who will have what it takes to make it in the Royal Marines, an elite Royal Navy force that deals with a wide spectrum of threats and security challenges around the world.
House 337’s idea is to help young men and women identify if they have the mindset required to become a Royal Marine by dramatizing the one thing that all successful recruits have in common: an innate urge to challenge and push themselves to their limits, physically and mentally.
A 60-second film at the heart of the campaign opens with a Royal Marines Commando on an exercise in some extremely rugged terrain. Faced with scaling a peak while laden with equipment and remaining alert to attack, we see he’s at the point where the idea of giving up creeps in.
“If you think you are beaten,” the voiceover said, “you are.” He digs deep and carries on, taking his best self with him and leaving behind the version which wasn’t up to the challenge.
We then follow him through more situations and exercises, being tested again and again in challenging conditions that require strength, determination, skill, and courage – some of the attributes needed to succeed in becoming a Royal Marine. But the most important quality our protagonist demonstrates repeatedly, and the one which can’t be taught, is the internal drive to always be his best self.
In the final scene, we see him proudly wearing the symbolic green beret that signifies his success as a Royal Marine Commando. “Within you is the best you,” the endline read. “It’s a state of mind.”
Paul Colley, Head of Marketing at the Royal Navy, said: House 337 has cleverly tapped into a compelling insight around the attraction of the Royal Marines, and most importantly what it takes to become one. We hope that ‘Within you is the best you’ captures our audience’s imagination and encourages them to see whether they have that `State of Mind.’”
Katy Hopkins, Creative Director at House 337, said: “To become a Royal Marines Commando it takes a combination of physical strength, agility, and incredible mental fortitude to keep going when others cannot. In this campaign, we wanted to spark a sense of recognition in those individuals.”
It is House 337’s first new campaign for the Royal Marines since retaining the Royal Navy account following a successful pitch for the joint Royal Navy & RAF advertising contract in 2022.
Credits
Client Managing Director: Ed Norrington
Senior Account Director: Marianne Roberts
Account Manager: Elspeth Allen
Creative Director: Katy Hopkins & Steve Hawthorne
Art Director: Gabriella Kohli
Head of Film/Producer: Sue Lee-Stern
Junior Producer: Liliana Silva
Production Co. Rogue
Director Max Fisher
Producer Maddy Easton
DOP: Jim Joliffe
Local Production Co. Green Olive
Location Production Co. Producer: Maria Kopanou
Editors: Final Cut
Editor: James Rosen
Editor Assistant: Thomas Brigden
Post: Electric Theatre Company
Grade: Jason Wallis
On-Line ETC VX
Producer: Joe Billington
Sound: 750mph
Audio Engineers: Sam Ashwell & Mike Bovill
Audio Producer: Liv Ray