PROJECT ARCHITEUTHIS
Cracking the code through millennial micro-targeting
One of the most important ratings in the U.S. Navy is Cryptology:
A highly specialized, highly technical rating that collects and analyzes state-of-the-art communication signals using the most sophisticated technology on the planet. In other words, they create and analyze coded information. They are the code breakers.
The Challenge
Only .0004% of the millennial U.S. population is our target. Clearly, a mass-market communication effort was not going to be the answer.
The Solution
A micro-targeted approach that appealed to those very characteristics that made an ideal Navy Cryptologist: self-motivated, highly intelligent, intuitive, and driven by curiosity. Project Architeuthis was a puzzle-based alternate reality game (ARG) that played across Navy social media and gaming platforms.
The Results
Project A not only exceeded the Navy recruiting goal for Cryptologists, it became a template for micro-targeting hard-to-recruit ratings for the Navy. The campaign was launched with zero paid media, yet received coverage from over 50 national and international news outlets.