‘Respect the Range’ is DIO’s biggest behavioural change campaign and is designed to raise the public’s awareness and understanding of the risks to personal safety when accessing military land. Risks include live firing, unexploded ordnance and fast-moving military vehicles.
The public are encouraged to enjoy the beautiful countryside that we are proud to steward and maintain, however it’s important that they only access the land when and where it is safe to do so.
What has Mike Tindall in a Warrior got to do with public safety?
We arranged for colleagues in 5 Rifles, an Armoured Infantry battalion based in Bulford, to take Mike out on the training estate in a Warrior Armoured Vehicle.
Mike got to experience first-hand what it was like to be in a 25 tonne military vehicle moving at speed and witness the very-real risks that people can face when accessing military training areas.
In a world of the 24-hour news cycle and over-saturated social media feeds, a big challenge communicators face is how to ensure our content cuts through the noise and engages audiences.
By working with Mike Tindall, a well-known and respected public figure with a considerable online presence and following, we hope to reach and engage existing and new audiences with our important safety messaging.
Shoot day
As you can imagine a project like this takes months of meticulous planning. Everything needs to be considered from scoping out the best filming locations, developing storyboards to briefing those featuring in the video.
We started our day with a safety brief in Bulford Camp’s vehicle park and got Mike kitted up ready to go out in the Warrior. Filming took place on a bitterly cold and windy day in February. Those familiar with Salisbury Plain will know there is little chance of hiding from the elements out there and Mike was going to be particularly exposed stood in the Warrior turret.
Mike, who we were relieved to discover was indeed the down to earth and friendly guy we all imagine, received no VIP treatment. He happily stayed outside with our Warrior Commander and Driver team all day, getting a real experience of military training. Luckily all those years on the rugby pitch seemed to have prepared him well as he took the day and the unforgiving Wiltshire weather in his stride.
Collaborative success
One of the biggest challenges of a project like this is liaising with and managing all the various stakeholders that need to be involved to make it happen. We worked closely with Creative Agency 23 Red and LDR Media to help bring our vision to life. Their industry knowledge and expertise proved invaluable to making the most of this opportunity and ensuring a high-quality finished product.
It has been an interesting and unique project to work on and it is great to see how our work in communications helps to support our Armed forces to safely train.
The Respect the Range campaign
You can read more about Mike’s visit to SPTA and the Respect the Range Campaign on the gov.uk website. But if you take one thing away from the campaign, please let it be the following simple steps you can take when visiting MOD land to help keep you and our Armed forces safe:
- check military training times before visiting
- pay attention to signage, information displays and red flags
- stick to public footpaths and bridleways
- do not touch any military debris – report its location for safe disposal
If we all work together to use these spaces with respect and consideration, the public will stay safe, and our Armed Forces will be protected during their important training exercises. Your safety is our top priority.
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