• by Fern Siegel , June 2, 2025

There are many key roles in the U.S. Navy, such as aviation rescue swimmers, hospital corpsmen and special warfare combat. Yet, only 1% of potential Navy recruits have the mental and physical toughness to fill them.

To attract potential sailors to the Navy Recruiting Command, VML targeted 17-30-year-olds in its "Spotlight" campaign.

Comprising a 90-second spot, three 30-second spots, three 15-second ads and a 6-second, the work airs on professional sports broadcasts, including Major League Baseball games, "WWE Raw" and across streaming platforms, such as YouTube, Roku, Peacock and Netflix.

"Everyone thinks they know what Navy Special Operations is, but most have no idea,” said Ryan Blum, VML chief creative director. “This campaign exposes the broader, hidden world of Special Ops, and is designed to inspire those who instinctively rise to the types of challenges others avoid."

Last December, the military branch launched "Strike Group" — a mobile mixed-ready experience that highlighted the Navy's technology and career options. It was also developed by VML, a division of WPP.