Case study
British Army Recruitment
Client: British Army
Agency: Ocean Outdoor
The campaign
59% of young people don’t believe the army is right for them. To challenge misconceptions, the British Army started an extensive recruitment campaign to set one thing straight: ‘You Belong Here’. The latest phase launched with an anamorphic 3D digital out-of-home (DOOH) advertisement in seven locations, including Glasgow, Manchester and Nottingham. A live version of this ad also ran in Westfield Stratford City’s ‘Four Dials’.
Ocean Outdoors collaborated with us to create an animated version of England’s heavyweight boxing champion and Grenadier Guard LSgt Natty Ngwenya. The campaign puts LSgt Ngwenya in the middle of dramatic scenarios that British Army personnel find themselves in from a first-person perspective.
What we did
The DOOH ad was built inside Unreal Engine to allow for real-time changes in the time of day and weather conditions – an industry first.
We first scanned LSgt Ngwenya to create a digital model of himself. To do this, we used 238 high-resolution DSLR cameras to recreate a detailed 3D model, which included fine skin details and clothing. Our animators then rigged the model so it could be animated.
As the story unfolds, Ngwenya is shown running from a helicopter to the forefront, looking out and over the screen edge towards viewers. We used motion capture to express this movement, which was later applied to the animation rig and then tweaked in our 3D software. Other assets, such as the helicopter, were created and animated in C4D and then brought into Unreal Engine, along with Ngwenya’s animated model. Other elements, like the trees and leaves, would also interact with the real-time weather conditions within the scene.
We sent the film as an Unreal package to play out rather than a traditional flat movie to allow for live changes in weather and time of day at Westfield’s Four Dials location. Several versions of the film were rendered for the other places to match the lighting and different times throughout the day.
The Results
The British Army campaign is an industry first for out-of-home advertising. This anamorphic 3D DOOH ad puts viewers at the heart of military life, encouraging them to see army careers from a new perspective. The powerful blend of real-time interactivity and engaging visuals inspires viewers in a way no traditional format could achieve.
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