GSD&M Retains United States Air Force Recruitment Duties
Austin-based agency continues 17-year partnership with the armed services branch.
Austin, TX—March 19, 2018—Austin-based advertising agency GSD&M has retained its multiyear contract with the United States Air Force to support national recruitment efforts. The contract, set to be complete by September 30, 2027, has GSD&M overseeing advertising and special events in support of Air Force active-duty recruiting at the national, regional and local levels.
This latest win for GSD&M is the result of a competitive selection process. The 338th Specialized Contracting Squadron, Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas, is the contracting activity (FA3002‑18‑D‑0008).
Over the course of its partnership, GSD&M has been responsible for assisting the U.S. Air Force in leveraging innovative ideas to better enhance recruitment tools and find the best and brightest of today’s generation through data-driven campaigns. The agency’s redesign of AirForce.com into an intuitive, personalized platform that inspires, informs and helps recruit the next generation of Airmen was awarded a Silver Lion in Digital Craft at the 2016 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. Most recently, GSD&M, in collaboration with PlayStation, created a first-of-its-kind experience that helped capture the attention of a niche audience and raise awareness of Special Operations as a career path. An extension of the “We Need People Who Can Do This” campaign—a way to elevate the Air Force’s highly qualified Special Forces team—Air Force Special Ops Nightfall is a fully immersive VR experience that puts gamers in the environment of Special Operations Airmen to face the daily challenges of the job. The campaign was named the Best Use of Alternative Media by Adweek.
“The U.S. Air Force’s purpose is to defend America in air, space and cyberspace, and we are honored to extend our 17-year partnership to continue to ensure they have the recruits to do so,” said GSD&M CEO Duff Stewart. “Our joint mission is powerful, and we are humbled and extremely proud to do this job for the Air Force every single day. We look forward to the challenges ahead, and, as always, we will Aim High.”
The retention of the U.S. Air Force business adds to an already strong 2018 for GSD&M. The agency had its fourth consecutive appearance in the Super Bowl, creating the spot “Guac World” for Avocados From Mexico, which helped it become the most discussed brand online during the big game. At the end of February, GSD&M launched Harry’s first-ever short film, “A Man Like You,” to support the men’s grooming company’s mission to focus on the cultural implications of what it means to be a man today. The Austin team also brought a new lens to investment advertising and challenged category norms, helping Northwestern Mutual encourage consumers to “Spend Your Life Living” with a new campaign focused on the company’s version of financial planning.
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