• by Steve McClellan , December 5, 2017

The U.S. Navy is introducing a new brand identity, tagline and creative campaign designed to reach a new generation of recruits. Created by Y&R North America, the first wave of the campaign – including the new “Forged by the Sea” tagline and brand platform – will launch at the Army-Navy game on December 9 in Philadelphia.

The game-day launch represents only the first wave of an integrated marketing campaign that will include a steady level of advertising on digital and social media platforms during the winter, before a full rollout in March. Additional marketing elements will debut throughout the year.

“Sea to Stars,” the first in a series of commercials featuring the new tagline and branding, will air on CBS during the second quarter of the Army-Navy game, as well as on screens in the stadium. A second commercial, “Game,” will also air in-stadium.  The new ads can be viewed here. 

In addition, the launch will include a “Forged by the Sea” print ad in the official game program, commercials during the radio broadcast of the game, and “Forged by the Sea” brand messages on the digital signage throughout the stadium and on billboards, bus wraps, and subway advertising in Philadelphia near the stadium. Navy cheerleaders will carry flags with the new tagline and the Navy Parachute Team, the Leap Frogs, will carry “Forged by the Sea” banners as they parachute into the game before kickoff. The Navy’s rebranded virtual reality trucks, the Nimitz and Burke, will be parked near the stadium, offering fans the opportunity to experience a virtual Navy Seal rescue mission. 

The launch will also feature a wide range of social media initiatives before, during, and after the game, signaling the Navy’s new, strategic emphasis on digital marketing. There will be five augmented reality filters on the Navy Recruiting Command’s Facebook platform that allow fans to creatively celebrate the Navy, the game, and the new tagline. Facebook Live will be used to stream an Army-Navy gameday show.  Called “Sea It Live,” the show will be hosted by two active duty Naval Academy Alumni, and will feature 10-15 segments throughout the day of the game. In between segments, the Facebook page will be populated with content that highlights sailors and their stories. After the game, a street team will capture sailors’ reactions and feelings about the new tagline and commercials in real time, and post on NRC’s Twitter page, while calling on followers to share their own thoughts. 

“The Navy is now recruiting young men and women of the Centennial Generation, who have different goals, expectations, and media-consumption habits than their Millennial predecessors,” stated Commander, Navy Recruiting Command Rear Adm. Pete Garvin said. “As such, the Navy recognized the necessity to develop a new marketing campaign and digital-heavy media strategy to more effectively reach, educate, and inspire the best-and-brightest prospective recruits.”