The Calm & The Storm VR
- Brand
- U.S. Air Force
- Year
- 2021
- Objective
- Lead Gen & Recruiting
- Industry
- Other
- Platform
- AR & VR
- Agency
- Wildlife
Objective
Air Force Special Warfare is a tiny, almost invisible category inside the Air Force — most civilians assume the branch only flies planes. Rather than running a recruiting ad on its own, GSD&M built the film and a touring VR activation as one system: the spot drives reach, and the live experience turns a crowd at a festival or airshow into face time with a recruiter standing right next to the booth.
Solution
Visitors step into a collapsible trailer booth, strap into a recoil vest, and pick up a rifle-shaped controller before the VR headset drops them into the ambushed convoy from the "Calm and the Storm" film. For a bit over two minutes they aim and react to the firefight: the vest thumps with each hit, overhead fans kick on when a helicopter sweeps in, and heaters flare with every explosion, while a mocked-up Humvee hood lets them brace their weapon like the real operators. Up to five people run the mission side by side in the shared booth. When the action ends, the system scores the player on composure, awareness, reaction time, and effectiveness, and lines that score up against real Special Warfare operators — the cue for the recruiter waiting outside to start a conversation.
Results
The touring activation ran 23 stops across 15 states in 2021, drawing more than 12,000 sign-ups to play. Of those, 5,282 opted in for more information and 1,453 converted into qualified recruiting leads. The campaign films anchoring the experience, "Calm and the Storm" and "Join the Fight," had drawn over 18 million and 17 million views respectively by late 2021.
- 1
At a public event such as a motorsport fan zone, air show, or state fair, visitors spot the trailer-mounted attraction alongside a tactical-gear display and an ATV, register on a tablet (minimum age 13), and queue with other guests to enter a shared cabin that holds up to five players.
- 2
Inside, each player puts on a haptic vest and VR headset and picks up a mock weapon, then drops into the ambush scenario from the brand's "Calm and the Storm" ad, with surround sound placing the convoy firefight all around.
- 3
A ledge inside the cabin simulates a Humvee hood, letting the player brace the weapon against it the way real operators shoot from cover.
- 4
The core loop is a firefight: the player scans the scene and returns fire while the vest vibrates and strikes to register nearby gunfire and hits.
- 5
Physical effects track the action: overhead fans kick on when a helicopter enters the scene, and heaters and compressors push hot air on cue with explosions and fire.
- 6
The player's choices branch the roughly two-minute scenario, shifting both in-game events and the physical effects rather than following a fixed track.
- 7
At the end of the session, the player receives a scored readout of composure, awareness, reaction, and effectiveness, benchmarked against real Special Warfare operators.
- 8
Exiting the cabin, the player is met by recruiters for a conversation about enlisting, with a photo opportunity on the branded ATV and the same gear from the ad on display nearby.
