Ukraine turns to creative ads to boost military recruiting

Oct 15

Karah Rucker Anchor

By Karah Rucker (Anchor), Mirlie Larose (Producer), Michael Edwards (Video Editor)

Both Russia and Ukraine have been struggling to attract new recruits for their fighting forces, but Ukraine now has a new strategy. The Ukrainian military has turned to an unconventional ad campaign to drum up extra interest.

Part of the Third Assault Brigade has functioned more like a production company than a military unit. Members were tasked with creating videos and imagery to promote recruitment. Their latest push emphasized a more approachable image.

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They told The Washington Post that they wanted to break away from the idea that joining the brigade was only about fighting in the trenches. As one of them put it, “We wanted to say that war is not always about blood and death. Sometimes, you can just relax.”

This new approach came after the Ukrainian government gave brigades the green light to recruit directly, without going through enlistment offices. The Third Assault Brigade aimed to attract everyday people by showing them the transformation they could undergo, becoming part of what they called “Ukraine’s best combat unit.”

According to the Post, the ads featuring models began appearing across Ukraine in early October, sparking mixed reactions. Some Ukrainians were uncomfortable with the concept, while others found it engaging. This was not the first time the brigade experimented with unique recruitment strategies.

Back in March 2023, a gritty photoshoot campaign brought in between 150 to 200 applications per day, though only about 10% led to enlistments. Since then, they’ve run more “fun” campaigns — one showing recruits piloting drones in a peaceful summer setting, and another depicting Ukrainian soldiers battling Russian forces portrayed as zombies.

Tags: Russia-Ukraine War, Ukraine

[KARAH RUCKER]

WITH UKRAINE STRUGGLING TO ATTRACT NEW RECRUITS FOR ITS WAR EFFORT – THE MILITARY IS TURNING TO AN UNCONVENTIONAL AD CAMPAIGN TO DRUM UP INTEREST.

PART OF THE THIRD ASSAULT BRIGADE IS LESS OF A MILITARY UNIT AND MORE LIKE A PRODUCTION COMPANY.

MEMBERS HAVE BEEN TASKED WITH CREATING VIDEOS AND IMAGERY TO PROMOTE RECRUITMENT.

THEIR LATEST PUSH EMPHASIZES A MORE APPROACHABLE IMAGE.

THEY TOLD THE WASHINGTON POST THAT THEY WANTED TO BREAK AWAY FROM THE IDEA THAT JOINING THE BRIGADE IS ONLY ABOUT FIGHTING IN THE TRENCHES.

AS ONE OF THEM PUT IT: ‘WE WANTED TO SAY THAT WAR ISN’T ALWAYS ABOUT BLOOD AND DEATH. SOMETIMES, YOU CAN JUST RELAX.’

THIS NEW APPROACH COMES AFTER THE UKRAINIAN GOVERNMENT GAVE BRIGADES THE GREEN LIGHT TO RECRUIT DIRECTLY, WITHOUT GOING THROUGH ENLISTMENT OFFICES.

THE THIRD ASSAULT BRIGADE IS LOOKING TO ATTRACT EVERYDAY PEOPLE BY SHOWING THEM THE TRANSFORMATION THEY CAN UNDERGO–BECOMING PART OF WHAT THEY CALL “UKRAINE’S BEST COMBAT UNIT.”

ACCORDING TO THE POST, THE ADS FEATURING MODELS STARTED APPEARING ACROSS UKRAINE IN EARLY OCTOBER, SPARKING MIXED REACTIONS.

SOME UKRAINIANS WERE UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THE CONCEPT, WHILE OTHERS FOUND IT ENGAGING.

THIS ISN’T THE FIRST TIME THE BRIGADE HAS EXPERIMENTED WITH UNIQUE RECRUITMENT STRATEGIES.

BACK IN MARCH 2023, A GRITTY PHOTOSHOOT CAMPAIGN BROUGHT IN BETWEEN 150 TO 200 APPLICATIONS PER DAY, THOUGH ONLY ABOUT TEN PERCENT LED TO ENLISTMENTS.

SINCE THEN, THEY’VE RUN MORE “FUN” CAMPAIGNS—ONE SHOWING RECRUITS PILOTING DRONES IN A PEACEFUL SUMMER SETTING, AND ANOTHER DEPICTING UKRAINE SOLDIERS BATTLING RUSSIAN FORCES PORTRAYED AS ZOMBIES.

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