Air Force unveils new advertising campaign

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RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFPN) --  The Air Force unveiled an innovative television and online advertising campaign Sept. 18 aimed at giving teens and Internet users a realistic view of life in the military.

The "Do Something Amazing" campaign debuts the same day the Air Force celebrates its 59th year as a service. It is also being rolled out to coincide with the fall television season. The first commercial will debut during the Fox Network's show "Prison Break" at 7 p.m. CST.

Each commercial ties directly into www.DoSomethingAmazing.com, a newly created interactive Web site featuring Air Force videos and information, according to Lee Pilz, Air Force account director at GSD&M, the service's contracted advertising agency in Austin, Texas.

"The idea behind the campaign is that Air Force people are doing amazing things every day all around the world," said Mr. Pilz. "We want people to be able to see that."

Unlike previous Air Force television commercials that were highly scripted and produced with special effects in Hollywood, the new spots were shot with a hand-held camera or used existing Air Force footage featuring Airmen performing their jobs in real-world environments.

The commercials allow viewers to experience the thrills of Air Force life such as jumping out the back of a C-130 Hercules at 10,000 feet with a special-operations team, calling in air strikes with joint terminal attack control Airmen or flying with the Thunderbirds aerial photographer through corkscrew spins.

"The documentary style makes the messages more convincing and authentic, especially to skeptical and media-savvy teenagers," Pilz said. "They want to see what it's really like in the Air Force. That's what we're providing."

Since the commercials are less expensive to produce, GSD&M plans to develop more of them.

"In the past, we produced eight commercials over a four-year period," Pilz said. "We can now showcase more career fields and have a better variety of TV spots and videos for the Web."

GSD&M developed the DSA concept after conducting focus group research among 16-24 year olds in Chicago and Phoenix.

Filming for the commercials began in May and continued throughout the summer at Charleston AFB, S.C.; Eglin AFB and Hurlburt Field, Fla.; Lackland AFB, Texas; Nellis AFB, Nev.; and Schriever AFB, Colo.

Career fields such as aircraft mechanic, security forces and explosive ordnance disposal are included in the campaign. Each commercial is voiced by an Airman in that career field and ends with the call to action "Do Something Amazing."

The Web site allows visitors to search, view and download video clips featuring on-the-job interviews with the Airmen. Teens will also find links to www.airforce.com to request more information, find a recruiter location or chat with an online advisor.

Although initially only enlisted career fields are featured in the commercials and online videos, GSD&M plans to add officer and health-professions careers to the lineup.

"We're excited about the new campaign," said Tim Talbert, deputy chief of the Strategic Communications Division, Headquarters Air Force Recruiting Service at Randolph AFB. "It's a lot different from what we've done in the past. 'Do Something Amazing' does not replace our main campaign theme, 'Cross into the Blue.' It complements it."