ROYAL BRITISH LEGION

Reminding us all of the extraordinary sacrifices made by the Armed Forces on our behalf.

THE CHALLENGE

The Royal British Legion exists to support ex-servicemen and women.

In its centennial year there was a need for RBL to remind people of the sacrifices made by the Armed Forces community on our behalf, every single day.

These individuals have made a unique contribution to society, and it is thanks to their service and sacrifice that we have the freedoms we enjoy today.

REDEFINING DESIRE

We cannot ask the public to care about what the Royal British Legion does, day in day out, if they do not understand the sacrifices made by service men and woman.

We created ‘Close Your Eyes’ to call for a moment of reflection, during which the nation could consider the selflessness required to serve in the Armed Forces.

The nationwide campaign launched with a 60 second TVC prime-time slot, continuing with a series of ‘unifying’ TV moments across ITV and Channel 4’s leading programming throughout October.

The broadcast activity was further supported by long and short-form social videos featuring personal stories from ex-service personnel, exploring in-depth how their military service has affected their lives and the pivotal importance the Royal British Legion has had in supporting them over the past 100 years.

The social content drove the audience towards a campaign landing page where they could learn more about how the RBL has helped the specific individuals in the interviews.

PROVOKING ACTION

‘Close Your Eyes’ was very well received, invoking strong sentiments of pride, emotion and inspiration. 

The main message received from the ad switched from the ‘get a Poppy’ call-out from previous years, to a focus on supporting the Armed Forces and RBL every day; transforming the charity from a ‘once a year tradition’ to year-round relevance.