How to Create a Unique Police Recruiting Campaign
Browse online, or through industry publications, and you’ll notice that many police recruiting ads look and sound alike. It’s a situation that your agency can use to its advantage, if you’re willing to do the work to create a campaign that stands out.
While the fundamentals of the job are similar across many Canadian agencies, the communities each agency serves, their culture, and— usually—at least one or two agency features, will be different. There may be standard bullet points that every agency needs to include in its campaign—such as compensation and benefits packages—but beyond that is an opportunity to boldly communicate what makes your agency a unique and rewarding choice.
New Zealand Police are among
the best recruiters in the world
In 2017, New Zealand (NZ) Police released a recruiting video (World’s Most Entertaining Police Recruitment Video) aimed at increasing both their numbers and their diversity. More than 70 real officers participated in the video, as the agency knew that one face could not speak to all of the people they wanted to attract. The funny, fast-paced, and engaging video went viral worldwide, and resulted in a huge surge of interest—within the first 24 hours, NZ Police received a month’s worth of inquiries from potential recruits.
The department followed up in 2018 with another highly engaging video (Breaking News) that also targeted a diverse range of recruits and answered all of the common questions potential recruits might have about joining. The response was strong—2,100 New Zealanders opened profiles on the department’s website, as the first step in the application process.
NZ Police’s recruiting success was not a “one-hit wonder”. By consistently applying branding and marketing fundamentals in the years that followed, and leveraging their unique approach, the organization has continued to grow. Jill Rogers, Assistant Commissioner, Leadership, Talent and Development, reported that, “Applications to become a police officer have been trending upwards in 2024, including a sustained spike in applications…With 1371 applications, July 2024 had highest number of applications for any month since the Police national recruitment database was created in 2014.”
What has made NZ Police recruiting campaigns so successful? In our experience, it’s down to six key things:
Brand authenticity and confidence
Creativity
Target audience knowledge
Clear and consistent messaging over time
Multi-layered campaigns
Emotional storytelling
Brand authenticity, confidence + creativity
NZ Police are willing to take informed creative risks to stand out in a hiring environment that is typically conservative. They’re successful, because they’ve done their homework—good creative almost always starts with research.
They know who they are and what they stand for—they’re confident in their identity and their culture, and they’re not afraid to showcase it. They also know who they’re talking to, and what they need to hear (see point #2, below).
“We know we are operating in a highly competitive marketplace to attract capable young people,” said Deputy Chief Executive People, Kaye Ryan, in 2018. “To win the ‘talent war’ we had to do something that was truly innovative, something that captured imaginations, and was so persuasive that it was a compelling employment proposition.”
The videos were a big-budget approach from a well-known advertising agency, but many big-city and federal agencies produce expensive videos that don’t go viral. What made these videos stand out was the fact that NZ Police let their authentic personality and Kiwi sense of humour shine through. They took informed creative risks with scripts that showcased the demands of typical police work—often in unusual and humorous ways—and portrayed their officers in a positive, engaging, and professional manner.
Target audience knowledge
Before they began their recruiting blitz in 2017, NZ Police identified who their target audiences were, and what they needed to hear. The agency commissioned a research study in 2015 that looked at the barriers and triggers for different ethnicities and genders in applying to join.
DC Ryan noted that, “Potential female recruits were concerned about safety, so we showed how we train people to cope emotionally and physically and how we work in teams; for Māori, the research found that joining was a source of real pride for whanau, and Asian peoples wanted more information about income and career paths.”
NZ Police spoke to the community they wanted to attract by showing them in their videos, and addressing their questions and concerns. They “demystified” policing by showing how ordinary people could be a fit for the job.
The homework paid off. In 2023, Deputy Commissioner, Tania Kura reported that, “The diversity across police has continued to improve since 2017. The number of sworn Māori officers has grown by 39 per cent, Pasifika by 77 per cent, and the number of Asian officers has grown by 152 per cent. Also, 36 per cent of new graduates since 2017 are female…”
Clear, consistent messaging + multi-layered campaigns
NZ Police don’t rely on their videos alone to carry their campaigns—they back their investment in video with multi-layered campaigns that feature billboards, posters, digital ads, and solid website and social content, along with face-to-face interactions. They know what their key messages and themes are, and they repeat them consistently over time. Every campaign communicates that NZ Police:
Are diverse
Are committed to helping the community
Prioritize safety and core policing duties
Are “ordinary people”
This year, in February 2025, they communicated the same themes, using an entirely different approach from their earlier videos. They remade an iconic NZ Police recruiting video from the 90s that, according to the department, has inspired thousands of people to join the department over the last 30 years. The video shines a light on both the heroic and emotionally challenging sides of police work in a moving video set to the tune of, “He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother”.
The video cements their image as a caring, compassionate, and effective, community-focused team. It shows the impact of their work on peoples’ daily lives, and tugs at the audience’s heartstrings in the process. And while the video is part of a recruitment campaign, it also works to celebrate the role of police and build community trust and confidence.
Emotional storytelling
The past and current videos from New Zealand Police are miles apart in their tone and approach, so how is it that they all work?
They use emotional storytelling. Humans are wired to listen to and remember compelling stories—and NZ Police tell stories that stick. Marketing that connects with your audience on an emotional level is the most effective marketing of all – in many cases, it has more influence on purchase decisions than facts. (And recruiting is marketing – you’re “selling” your agency as a great place to work.)
Whether it’s through humour or a deeply emotional story about service, NZ Police recruiting ads make people feel positively about their organization. And the appeal of them is widespread—whether you’re someone who has never considered a career in policing, a new recruit, or an experienced officer, their stories make you want to be part of their team.
How to apply NZ Police’s marketing fundamentals to your own campaign
1. Brand fundamentals
What are your agency’s unique selling points? What is your brand personality and voice? What do you stand for?
2. Culture and values
Your competition may offer some of the same features, but they can’t duplicate your culture. What is your agency culture and what is unique about it? How can you communicate this? Why did your staff join? What do they love about their jobs? Gather input and stories from your frontline and civilian staff, not just your executive.
3. Community and environment
What is your relationship with your community? What is its culture? What does it need to hear from you (because it will likely see your ads)? Are there lifestyle advantages to your location? Are you looking for staff that prefers an urban environment, or rural patrol work? Is there a focus on a particular type of work?
4. Target audiences
Who are they, specifically, and what are their needs? What are your solutions? How can you show that you understand them? (Tell them a story they can feel part of.) Where do they work, live, and play—can you connect with them in unexpected places where your messaging will not be in competition with others? Are there niche audiences that might give you a higher return on investment than a general hiring blast?
5. Challenges
Do you need to address any issues or perceptions about your agency? Are there challenges that can be repositioned as opportunities for the right person?
Interested in more recruiting strategies? Please read our blog, “9 Police Recruiting Strategies that can Improve Your Hiring Success”.
Tell a story that is unique to your agency
Indalma Creative has been working with Canadian police agencies since 2011, and over that time we’ve learned that every agency is different. They have their own stories, unique selling points, culture, community, opportunities, and challenges. That’s why none of the recruiting campaigns, brands, or marketing campaigns we create for these agencies look or sound the same. (You can see some of our work here.)
To begin to build a recruiting campaign that will differentiate you in the market, uncover the stories that are unique to your agency. Identify your target market and learn what’s important to them. Build a strong and authentic brand, and communicate it boldly.
And, if you need help with any of these tasks, please get in touch with our Chief Brand Strategist, Angela McGregor at angela@indalmacreative.com. Our team of brand strategists, designers, and writers offers a full range of services specifically for police agencies, from brand-building, to transitions, to recruiting campaigns. We have the industry insights and experience that allow us to go past the basics and dig deeper into creating a solution that’s unique to you.
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