• by Fern Siegel , September 13, 2023

By partnering with YouTube creators, the U.S. Navy latest iteration of “Sailor Vs” speaks to a specific demographic.

Most Generation Zs, those born between 1997 and 2012, may be unfamiliar with the modern Navy. It offers more than 150 careers in nuclear engineering, special warfare, cryptology and information-systems management. Enlisted career paths not usually associated with the Navy include music, journalism, culinary arts and linguistics.

To rectify that gap, VMLY&R, the Navy’s AOR, launched “Sailor Vs” in 2019, a video series that pits YouTube’s top creators and influencers against skilled sailors in various challenges. Season two launched in 2020. Season three just kicked off with three new spots: Aircrewman vs. Dangie Bros, MA DogHandler vs. Darryl Mayes and CTI Linguist vs Arieh Smith.

The spots are running on the America's Navy YouTube channel and on Navy.com, with promotion via the America's Navy social media platforms and via paid media on Reddit, Hulu and Snap.

The agency received its second consecutive five-year AOR assignment from the Navy in 2021. The contract is valued at more than $455 million.

“We are trying to reach people who are unaware of what the Navy has to offer. And to some degree, unwilling to watch a traditional Navy ad,” Ryan Blum, VMLY&R executive creative director told Agency Daily. “Using YouTube creators who have channels that are related to Navy jobs, we are able to show the realities of Navy life through the influencers they love.”

America's Navy has 330,000 active-duty sailors, 290 deployable ships, more than 3,700 aircraft and dozens of bases in the U.S. and across the globe.

"Our ultimate purpose is to inform potential recruits that the Navy provides experiences that you simply can’t get anywhere else,” says Rear Admiral Alexis “Lex” Walker, Commander, Navy Recruiting Command.

VMLY&R is a subsidiary of WPP.