SPRINGER | Creative Director

The United States Army

in our boots
virtual Reality Campaign

AGENCY: McCann Worldgroup

PROBLEM: Make recruiting for today's generation

CONCEPT: Have recruits walk in the boots of real US Soldiers

AWARDS: Cannes, Effies, Webby, OneShow

Walk in the boots
of today’s soldier

In 2018, the U.S. Army missed its recruitment goals for the first time in over a decade. What looked like a simple decline in recruitment due to cultural headwinds was actually much deeper. We had a trust issue with the very people we needed to recruit. "In Our Boots" earned back the trust of skeptical young Americans by turning them into a Soldier through immersive 360º VR experiences. At a moment in history when young Americans didn’t trust the Army, an unprecedented amount came knocking on our doors.

By engaging in the immersive virtual reality of “In Our Boots,” prospective recruits have a chance to experience first-hand what it is like to be a U.S. Army sniper, drone operator, tank commander and bomb technician as they lead their teams behind enemy lines, neutralize threats and support Special Forces teams under fire.

The campaign’s first-person storytelling and 360-degree video series was featured online as well via apps for iOS, Google Play, and Oculus. Spots ran on digital streaming platforms, social platforms, local print and radio. The direct mail component to the campaign included custom VR goggles that allowed prospects to engage in a fully-immersive #InOurBoots experience.

Virtual Reality Experiences

Introduction + Looping Menu

Bomb Technician

Tank Commander

Sniper

Weapons Drone Pilot

Direct mail Headsets (500,000)