The Royal Air Force (RAF) hit the road recently with a nationwide roadshow to raise awareness of the breadth of career opportunities it offers.

The roadshow, designed by BEcause Experiential Marketing, formed the experiential element of the RAF’s national drive to recruit 4,559 people into the force by 2009.

Overseen by the Central Office of Information (COI), the roadshow provided tailored information and career advice to potential recruits in seven major cities for three days at a time throughout September.

BEcause created an RAF marquee containing a number of challenges and games, each one relating to a different career in the RAF. Designed around the strapline ‘Creating a team for any challenge’, potential recruits can take part in engineering, intelligence, fitness and logistics challenges that show how different skills come together to create a dynamic team. Outstanding performers from each region received challenge-related prizes, and members of the public were invited to enter a prize draw for a chance to win a flight in an RAF aircraft.

In a Lifestyle section, trained brand ambassadors highlighted career opportunities within the RAF, with official recruiters on hand to give first-hand advice on life in the RAF and kick-start the application process.

Prior to the roadshow, a small team of brand ambassadors visited each city’s surrounding areas to raise awareness of the visit. During the visit, members of the public were blindfolded, while their partners guided them through an obstacle course using a set of verbal commands. The roadshow visited Liverpool, Sheffield, Brighton, Sunderland, Cardiff, Plymouth and Glasgow.

“Each location was been chosen based on RAF recruitment hotspots, ensuring that the target audience of 16 to 34-year-olds was reached,” said Sharon Richey, managing director at Because. “The creative concept of the marquee gave the potential recruits a great taste of the combination of skills they could use in the RAF.”