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The Army hopes to address declining recruitment numbers with a reality-TV style ad campaign following a band of soldiers as they scale Mount Everest - but will it be enough to reinvigorate a brand dogged by bad press and seemingly out of step with potential recruits? By David Benady
The British Army has a mountain to climb as it seeks to attract new recruits, deterred from joining up by the war in Iraq and scandals over bullying and prisoner abuse. The mountain in question is Everest, the world's highest peak, which will form the backdrop for a real-life television advertising recruitment campaign for the Army, breaking this weekend.
A team of 49 British Army soldiers is attempting to scale three Himalayan peaks, and 21 of them are undertaking the challenge of shinning up the gruelling West Ridge of Everest - a route to the top no Briton has ever managed to ascend before.
The mission has been three years in preparation. Its progress can be followed on a dedicated website where people are able to send messages of support - Prime Minister Tony Blair has already sent his own missive. The Everest team will send back regular footage of the soldiers' exploits, which will be edited by advertising agency Publicis into an ongoing series of video diary-style TV commercials to be aired over the coming eight weeks.
The campaign is the latest attempt to boost flagging recruitment levels and tackle a number of negative perceptions about army life that have put people off signing up during recent years. It will focus on the teamwork, preparation and sense of challenge involved in the mission and suggest that these are the values which army life offers.
Fascinating insight
Along with shots of daredevil mountaineers, we can expect to see close-up footage...