Crime Interrupted, Recruiting for the AFP: Jon Austin, ECD Host/Havas Australia

by Jamel D. Nelson , AdForum

Host Havas
Full Service
Sydney, Australia
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Jon Austin
Executive Creative Director Host/Havas
 

For its latest recruitment campaign, the Australian Federal Police, working with Host/Havas, have reached into their own stories and found some of the most interesting cases to highlight in a podcast series that has been gaining popularity worldwide. As part of its ongoing ‘A Step Ahead’ campaign, the tales are pulling in enthusiasts and making them consider going from a listener to a part of the police force. We spoke with Jon Austin, the Executive Creative Director behind the campaign, to learn more about how Crime Interrupted came together and the future of the series. 


 

What was the insight that led to the creation of Crime Interrupted? How did you decide a podcast was the best way to reach potential recruits?

Crime Interrupted is part of the AFP’s long-term brand platform we developed at the outset of our relationship, ‘A Step Ahead.’ At its heart, the platform (and the work it elicits) is designed to showcase the intelligent action and the breadth of skillsets within the AFP required to bring down serious crime and attract diverse and more diversely-skilled recruits into these roles.

At Host/Havas, we try to make things people want rather than making people want things, whether that’s leaning into entertainment, pop culture, or brilliant utility. It’s a pretty simple philosophy to stand by when the latest data shows that 91% of people consider ads more interruptive than ever, and 86% of people now consider entertainment as vital as food and shelter (seriously). So, when it came to fiercely competitive recruitment, we wanted to create work that pulled people in rather than tried to push, unwelcome, into their lives. We saw that a significant majority of our desired audience were ferocious podcast fans, and true-crime was one of the most popular genres they were listening to. So, whilst unique for the category, a podcast made complete sense.

 

When you first pitched the idea of disguising a recruitment campaign as a podcast, how did the Australian Federal Police respond?

The AFP is as sharp and insightful as you’d expect any organisation that topples serious crime on a daily basis to be. They immediately saw the value in a layered and progressive approach to recruitment and, when we went through the data around our audience, their views on entertainment, and their podcast consumption, the question wasn’t “should we do this?”, but “how can we not do this?”. Their ability to see creativity as a competitive edge in recruitment extends beyond the marketing team and all the way up to the commissioner. It makes them an absolutely brilliant partner in projects like this.

 

Casefile seems like a natural partner for the AFP; how did you approach them with the idea for the series?

Casefile absolutely seems like the natural partner, but the process to get to that awesome partnership was as robust as every other facet of the campaign. We started with a comprehensive audit of the true-crime landscape to identify prospective partners and production models. Then, we reached out to a shortlist of candidates, and based on their treatment of the subject matter, their collaborative approach, and their reach, we identified the Casefile team as the right partner. I’m so glad we did. They’re an absolutely incredible outfit.

 

Crime Interrupted has been incredibly popular, even outside of Australia. Were you expecting the podcast to be such a hit?

The stories are so damn compelling, so yeah, I had a feeling it would be very well received. But it’s one thing to look at the data and feel like an idea will theoretically work because it just makes so much sense, and another to see an unashamedly branded podcast rise through the ranks to sit just below The Joe Rogan Experience in the charts. When people can’t smash the skip button fast enough to avoid a 15-second pre-roll, the notion that people are actively engaging with the AFP for over an hour every week is bonkers.

 

What have been some of the challenges you’ve faced bringing this podcast to life?

Like any project of this nature, there are challenges at every stage. But perhaps the biggest challenge we faced, simply down to the rigour involved, was the story selection process. We basically needed to find the overlap between many objectives. Firstly, our stories needed to showcase the breadth of skills required to take down serious crime. But they also obviously had to be compelling enough for a long-form, entertainment-based format. We then had to cross-reference these potential stories against a legal framework to ensure they’d been cleared to discuss details publicly and had completed the official process within the AFP. And, of course, most importantly of all, we had to be mindful that our stories were being told in a way that respected the victims or families involved with the investigations. It was incredibly in-depth and intensive, but we couldn’t be happier with the six stories that make up the first season.

 

Are there any stories that you hope to use in the future?

We’re exploring several options for the next stage of the campaign, but there is certainly no shortage of incredible, confronting, and engaging stories in which the AFP has outsmarted serious crime.

 

It’s still early, but are there any results from this campaign that you can share? Has there been more interest in the AFP?

Given we’re only a few weeks into the campaign, it’s a bit too early to release results yet, but the initial engagement is a brilliantly positive indicator. That aside, my favourite result so far is seeing Crime Interrupted currently sitting as the number one true-crime podcast and the second most listened to podcast in Australia (just below The Joe Rogan Experience). Crime Interrupted has also reached number 9 in the UK; and number 20 in the US. It’s a great reminder of the power of work that pulls people in rather than pushing into their lives.