Royal Navy tells the story of a Sikh Lieutenant
The Royal Navy is focusing on the complexities of cultural identity and diversity within the UK with its latest TV recruitment campaign involving a Sikh lieutenant. The campaign aims to increase recruitment and attraction for the Royal Navy.
Engine Creative’s ad, titled “Raj’s Story,” follows the journey and self-discovery of Lt Raj, a serving naval officer in the Submariner service. Raj explains how he struggled with the difficulty of understanding his identity. Growing up as an ethnic minority in Britain and stuck between cultures has been complex.
The campaign shows Lieutenant Raj tying his turban, finding his place, and reflecting on his childhood. It tells the story of his childhood. How he drifted away from his Sikh culture as a young man without the consent of his family. He then switched to the Royal Navy. In the voice-over, Raj says that “the sense of belonging he found in the Royal Navy has helped him rediscover his pride in his origins and regain his Sikh identity”.
This version of their popular ads provides a valuable twist on their ongoing Made in the Royal Navy campaign. As they continue to show how the Royal Navy has helped individual recruits “become the best version of themselves.”
Runner-up in Channel 4’s 2020 Diversity competition, which focused on authentically depicting British BAME cultures, the spot received £ 250,000 in free advertising time.
The art director of the campaign was Hugo Isaacs and the copywriter was Chris Da Roza. Directed by Sasha Nathwani.
Paul Colley, Director of Marketing, Recruiting and Attractiveness for the Royal Navy, said: “This film was created through the opportunity that C4 presented with its Diversity in Advertising Award. The £ 250,000 free airtime allowed the Royal Navy to offer a different and indeed unique look at life in the Royal Navy through the eyes of Lt Raj’s service. His story is a reflection of the diversity in the truest sense of the word and the life that one can lead in the Royal Navy. “
The 60-second film will run for two weeks from September 6th on C4 and All 4. Media planning will be carried out by Wavemaker and media purchasing by Manning Gottlieb OMD.
Major Daljinder Virdee, chairman of the Defense Sikh Network, added, “The story of Raj shows what many young Sikhs have to grow up. The Sikh identity is distinctive and has a long and proud tradition. Like Raj, the armed forces helped me find out more about my Sikh heritage and ultimately about myself. The Defense Sikh Network is grateful to have been involved in leading this project and for the first time to have a Sikh character at the center of an armed forces display. “
