The Victorian Police, with the help of creative agency Wunderman Thompson, released a call to service campaign to inspire the Victorian community.
The Made for More campaign was created to motivate, and give confidence to applicants by calling out the values that are core to Victoria Police and common to all police officers.
In doing so, it demonstrates the unique skills that applicants can bring to policing, essential for making Victoria a safer place.
The campaign is live across TV, cinema, radio, press, OOH, digital and social media.
AdNews spoke with human resources command & Inspector Ashley Wigg and Leigh Davies, campaigns manager - Victoria Police.
Wigg & Davies collectively said: “Following extensive consultation with stakeholders and a review of previous campaign approaches, the initial goal of the 2022 Police Recruitment campaign was to boost the number of applications to fill natural attrition police numbers via a ‘candidate-first’ approach - with a focus on values and the rewarding nature of service to the community.
"The campaign - Made for More - is a call-to-service for those in the Victorian community who know they are capable of ‘more’. As an organisation, Victoria Police champions inclusivity, safety, respect, and career progression - with the campaign capturing exactly what Victoria Police, and the officers who are a part of it, stand for.
“We wanted to appeal to a diverse audience and entice potential candidates who are seeking a purposeful career that offers such a wide variety of job choices. The roles depicted in the campaign are the types of duties recruits should expect to undertake after they successfully graduate from the Academy.
“Applicants need to be committed to the process and aware of the entry requirements, and expectations of the role. In return, Victoria Police commits to giving all applicants the opportunity to be considered on merit and build a workforce that truly reflects the community we serve.”
Wunderman Thompson’s associate creative director, Stephanie Gwee, highlighted the importance of striking a tone that would allure Victorian citizens made for more.
Gwee: “From day one, we knew it was important to strike the right tone.
“The campaign was designed to appeal to those who hadn’t previously considered a career in policing, and to highlight the range of skills required to be a great police officer.
"Whether it’s communicating with members of the public, demonstrating empathy, or managing stressful situations in a calm and measured way, the day-to-day work of Police Officers relies on a broad range of skills, usually not centred around physical fitness (which many might assume).
“Victoria Police recognises the importance of representing and reflecting the community, and the campaign needed to incorporate this in a meaningful way. Key creative decisions, from casting and locations to scenarios, carefully considered how the community was being represented and prioritised diversity.
“We wanted to speak simply and personably. We wanted to raise awareness, highlight the diversity of roles and prompt candidates to apply to join Victoria Police. We interviewed many Police Officers to uncover their personal motivations and wrote those anecdotes into the campaign.
“The tagline - Made for More - speaks to that innate voice we all have: that lingering question of whether we are truly fulfilling our potential, and if our ‘9-to-5’ job is allowing us to make the impact we all want to make. It speaks to our hunger in wanting to feed our purpose, as well as tapping into the values of Victoria Police aligning with our own.
“Through the scenarios we showed in the campaign, we wanted to illustrate how one day is totally different from the next, as well as how the career of a Police Officer can take many twists and turns, leading them down unknown and fulfilling pathways.
“We’re proud of this campaign. It delivers a much greater human connection than other Police Recruitment ads. It’s all about the applicant’s current headspace, and how Victoria Police could be the answer they are searching for.”
Have something to say on this? Share your views in the comments section below. Or if you have a news story or tip-off, drop us a line at adnews@yaffa.com.au
Sign up to the AdNews newsletter, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for breaking stories and campaigns throughout the day.