Defence's responsibility

Dat is de verantwoordelijkheid van Defensie (klassieker)

An F-16 flying low overhead, a frigate pounding through waves, an armoured vehicle diving off a sand hill. It is not difficult to get young people excited about a job in Defence. That enthusiasm is far from always shared by those around them (family members, partners), especially in times when Dutch servicemen are at risk during international peace missions.

The ministry felt it was important to paint as balanced a picture of Defence as a working environment as possible. We created a ‘responsible’, almost editorial campaign that honestly informs about aspects such as danger, being away from home for a long time, religion, training opportunities and diversity.

The largest Christmas card in the Netherlands

How do you increase public engagement? It started as an exciting experiment; it became a great success. We had people in several places around the country write their end-of-year wishes for the men and women in Afghanistan on a huge scroll. The response on the streets was purely positive and as many as 14,000 people participated. The council of ministers was also enthusiastic and signed. It generated a huge amount of free publicity and sympathy. On the day before Christmas, the state secretary flew to Uruzgan, carrying under his arm the largest Christmas card in the Netherlands.

Mother's Day advertisement

And finally, a special ad. We had the men and women in Uruzgan greet their mothers on Mother’s Day. This was appreciated. Not least by the general public.