As part of its “Do more. Be More.” awareness-raising poster campaign, the The Territorial Army (TA) and out-of-home advertising company Clear Channel approached poster printer and visual display specialist Prismaflex UK to see if it was possible to install an illuminated poster on one of the peaks of the Brecon Beacons mountain range in Wales.
The Brecon Beacons is where the TA's part-time soldiers - who have served recently in the British Army in Afghanistan and Iraq - conduct many of their training exercises. The installation required the transportation of three and a half tonnes of kit up the mountain, Corn Du, including the poster itself, the frame and the electrics for the hoped-for illumination. Even worse, the date chosen for the installation was a chilly and stormy February day.
“This was clearly a big test for the TA but also for us,” says managing director Tom Weaver. “We knew our posters worked on the high street but we'd never tried to put one up on a windswept mountain before.”
The intrepid TA team's first attempt was confounded by the weather when a storm made the first peak unsafe for climbers, let alone poster installers. But the second worked, even though weather conditions were still uncomfortably blustery. Once successfully installed, the poster was switched on, with the TA's bold slogan “Do More. Be More.” blazing away over the foggy peaks of the Brecon Beacons.
Colonel Stephen Potter, head of TA recruiting, comments, “The TA is growing and we want to get the message out that we are recruiting. By joining the TA you can achieve so much more, both in your work and social life and I’m impressed by the team in achieving a really challenging task.”
Prismaflex's Tom Weaver adds, “I was amazed at the skill and commitment shown by the TA team. Their motto really is ‘nothing is impossible.’ I was pleased and relieved that we didn’t let them down.”
Derek Manns from Clear Channel concludes, “Clear Channel worked with the TA to provide a special prototype poster designed to withstand extreme weather conditions, demonstrating the TA’s tireless ability to rise to any challenge. Erecting the poster in the severe weather was a monumental achievement and will undoubtedly raise awareness for its recruitment campaign. We were delighted to work on such an inspirational campaign.”
