Introduction
In 2023, South Australia Police needed a recruitment campaign to encourage more cadet applications and so ‘You Belong In Blue’ was born. Its success and adoption by the force led to a second phase that targeted younger people to become sworn officers.
Phase one - Is your career your calling?
Phase one stirred self-reflection among a wide demographic of candidates. Specifically, it posed questions designed to prompt consideration of what they truly valued in their roles. It inspired the dissatisfied to pursue their true-calling career, with a focus on the values-led benefits of being a police officer, like purpose, pride, challenge, a desire to serve, and a sense of camaraderie.
Phase two – An action-packed career.
Phase two was an opportunity to shift the tone and pick up the pace, this time championing younger officers in roles packed with action and excitement, adding another persuasive element that would compel the right candidates to change careers.
Hearing from the people you'd work alongside.
Leveraging the same core concept of officers applying their personal strengths to the other side of their lives — their work — we shot another suite of dual narratives around the state, featuring fast-paced scenarios like a local missing persons search, a coastal rescue operation, and a late-night arrest. A distinctive, agile camera technique, punchy edit and upbeat track injected the desired urgency and energy into the storytelling, resonating with the younger target market.
An arresting campaign.
In response to phase one of the campaign, SAPOL doubled its intake from 2022 with its highest intake in five years. It’s fantastic to see this positive result and to know that our local recruitment campaign had a hand in 230 local cadets finding their true-calling career in 2023. The results of phase two are still to come.