I’ve only gotten interested in classic British comics pretty recently, thanks to the incessant promotion by some island-dwelling friends of mine. As far as I know, interest in these comics, with their traditional macho appeal, is predominantly driven by some form of nostalgia, comparable to the love for early 20th century newspaper comics or golden age comic books.
All this just to say that, even though I don’t know what the strategy is behind these campaign visuals for a Royal Air Force recruitment campaign, I think they had better used some more contemporary imagery if they’re aiming at an audience in their late 10’s, early 20’s.
Which is not to say that these visuals aren’t brilliant. They capture the atmosphere of the comics to the core, emulating the typical cover paintings and even the typography.
(Campaign by DLKW, London with art by an as yet unidentified artist – via Ads of the World)
I think this campaign will work. Though the style looks dated, most the age range its aimed at (16 – 20) will never have seen comics in this style before. To them, it will be different and visually striking.