It isn’t easy to sell a career in the police service. The job is tough, extremely demanding, requires major lifestyle adjustments, and police departments work with limited budgets for their marketing and recruitment campaigns. The best recruitment ad is the one that you watch from start-to-finish regardless of your actual interest in joining the police force. I’ll stop talking and show you the best in police recruitment videos:
1. Danbury PD
This video looks at all of the other recruitment videos and asks: “Y so serious”? It does an excellent job putting a human face to the Danbury PD (Hi Christina, Ralph, and Joe!), has funnier moments that aren’t completely cringey, but also gets serious when it has to. Also- they’ve got dogs. I don’t know where Danbury is, to begin with. But I want to go there.
2. New Zealand Police
At 1.6 million views, there’s a chance that you’ve already watched this one. But even if you have- watch it again and tell me that it isn’t the most entertaining, well-written police recruitment video that you’ve ever seen. It even includes a blooper reel. This is commitment to PR, people. Take notes.
3. Grand Junction PD
No jokes? No problem. There’s nothing wrong with taking more serious tone. Especially when it’s done as well as this Grand Junction PD recruitment ad. The bird’s eye opening scene is a bold move, but works extremely well since the building’s colours match up with the cruiser’s. And that snap transition from chaotic crime scene to the serene community… *Chef’s kiss*. Storytelling lives here, folks.
4. Miami PD
Buckle your seatbelts, folks (especially if you’re watching this in a police cruiser). This is a long one. But make time for it. It has 80s music. A daydream sequence. Low-resolution explosion sprites. The Matrix references. It’s so meta. This is a much more detailed video At 132K views they are doing so many things right.
5. Sandford Police
This one isn’t an actual police recruitment ad. It’s a trailer for the kick-ass movie Hot Fuzz. I do what I want.