The Met Police has launched a new recruitment campaign, ‘Change Needs You’, as it seeks to hire more police constables.
The campaign had been scheduled to launch in May but was postponed due to the announcement of the general election.
The police force’s A New Met for London plan aims to transform the service, with Metropolitan Police Service commissioner Sir Mark Rowley putting change at the centre of his vision: “We must change for our communities and we must change for our officers and staff who serve them.”
The reforms come after Baroness Casey’s report in 2023, which found London’s police force institutionally racist, misogynist and homophobic.
In January 2024, the Met Police commissioned creative agency Pablo and marketing agency Unlimited to create a recruitment drive for new police constables – both regular and special (volunteer).
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The agencies said the work is truthful in recognising that change is not for everyone, adding that the Met needs people who want to change things for the better, for society, London and themselves.
Research by Unlimited’s human understanding lab found there were a large pool of Londoners with the “energy and desire to make a positive difference”.
From in-depth qualitative research it found that by highlighting the rich and varied skills required to be a police officer, Londoners were more likely to see themselves in the role.
Dan Watts, executive creative director at Pablo London, said: “It feels like the right point in time to be harnessing ‘change’ and focusing it into all the things that truly matter. We hope this recruitment drive will bring in those that really feel they can make a difference and push things forward for not only the Met Police, but their careers, their communities and the people around them.”
Stephanie Day, the Met Police’s head of campaigns and marketing, said: “The new campaign is based on insight and does a great job in really highlighting the values we need our officers to have whilst reflecting the many benefits individuals get from policing our capital city.”
Met police recruitment campaign
The agencies said “Change Needs You” aims to highlight the importance and impact of Met Police constables while acknowledging it’s anything but an easy job.
Inspired by and featuring real police constables’ stories and experiences, the multi-channel Met Police recruitment campaign highlights the special skills the force values in their officers.
Frontline officers described the creative work as both highly realistic and making them proud to be police constables.
The tone of the work was carefully chosen to replicate the scenarios police officers face and to attract people who would relish the challenges and reality of police work.
The agencies added that similarities with the Labour Party’s focus on “Change” were entirely coincidental.
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