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GPS Campaign

U.S Coast Guard

When the U.S. Coast Guard set out to redefine its national recruiting strategy, it didn’t need just another slogan, it needed a signal. A message that could cut through the noise, resonate with high-caliber minds, and inspire a new generation of mission-driven talent.

CREATIVE/BRIEF

Secure interest. Spark identity. And win the 5-year, $50 million national recruiting contract. All while positioning the Coast Guard as the elite, STEM-forward, globally relevant force it is.

United States Coast Guard "GPS" campaign displaying GPS coordinates: 79.43816°N, -96.855462°W against a red background with white text

BIG/IDEA

We launched a campaign that embedded location data directly into the visual language, placing the Coast Guard’s mission anywhere in the world, from open ocean to remote disaster zones. But this wasn’t just about latitude and longitude. It was about positioning, challenging recruits to ask: “Where are you right now, and where are you going?”

This narrative of purpose, precision, and global reach landed hard with the target audience: tech-savvy, impact-driven STEM students looking for something bigger than themselves.

Three US Coast Guard members in uniform working at computer stations with surveillance equipment and monitors in a command center. Subtitles indicate they are patrolling ahead of a category 4 hurricane, asking "WHERE ARE YOU?"

Inside the cockpit of a USCG helicopter, with two pilots wearing helmets and flight suits, flying over a city with a river and skyscrapers visible through the windows.

Screenshots of U.S. Coast Guard recruitment social media posts on a smartphone screen. The first shows a culinary specialist, the second features a helicopter flying over a coastline, and the third depicts a person climbing a cutter's rigging.

From digital to experiential, the GPS campaign became a unifying thread across recruiting activations, elevating the Coast Guard’s story with clarity and conviction. Branded touchpoints invited engagement. Coordinates sparked curiosity. And every element of the campaign pointed to a singular call to action: Find your purpose. Plot your path.