A recruitment film that got experienced officers to pack up and move.
The Brief
Surrey Police Service (SPS) needed to grow fast but not just with new recruits.
Their challenge was much tougher: attract experienced officers from other cities to leave their posts and
join a new, evolving police force. Past recruitment videos weren’t cutting through. Engagement was low,
and most videos barely passed 500 views. The message wasn’t sticking and it wasn’t moving anyone.
SPS knew they needed something different. Not just a video. A reason.
How We Broke It Down
Every breakthrough starts with our process: discovering the brand’s S.O.U.L to truly grasp the challenge and dismantle any barriers in the way.
See – Production quality and creative approach weren’t matching the weight of what SPS was offering.
Offer – Previous messaging sounded like every other recruitment ad; safe, expected, and forgettable.
Understand – Experienced officers had no reason to switch cities or forces. The story didn’t inspire action.
Live – Marketing touchpoints lacked targeted depth. Most content wasn’t even reaching the right people.
The Breakthrough
We flipped the brief: instead of selling a job, we told the story of joining a movement.
We created a high-impact recruitment film; bold in tone, elevated in production, and focused squarely on
experienced officers who wanted to be part of something newer, bigger, and future-facing.
No soft edits. No staged walk-and-talks. Just a sharp, cinematic invitation to “Join What’s Next.”
THE BUILD
Crafted and produced by our creative and video teams, the film became the emotional and strategic centerpiece of a year-long recruitment campaign.
Key decisions included:
– Cinematic storytelling built for emotional engagement, not just information delivery.
– Hyper-targeted geo-fencing around 40–50 police stations in BC and Alberta, reaching the right officers at the right time.
– Localized creative rollouts, including high-performing versions for Calgary and Edmonton audiences.
– Strong creative variations like the “Signing Bonus” ad, which earned the highest click-through rate in the campaign.
We also made sure the campaign assets worked hard—without paid boosts or inbox pushes.
testimonials
Craft Collective helped shape the vision from scratch and delivered a video that truly connected; bringing in great results and a big boost in recruitment.
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