GCHQ takes to Xbox Live

Where better to look for the modern day James Bond than in the murky waters of Xbox Live, right? That’s clearly what the UK government believes with news that super-secret intel organisation GCHQ is to run recruitment advertising on Xbox Live.

Tomorrow will see the start of a six-week campaign using both embedded in-game video and on the Xbox 360 dashboard.

GCHQ claims to have chosen Xbox Live as it’s the perfect partner” to reach the 18-34 target audience. According to the release, many of the GCHQ recruiting criteria are reflected in game play experiences on Xbox, such as quick thinking, problem solving and team work”.

As well as tackling ‘traditional threats’, GCHQ’s work is also about helping government departments, such as Ministry of Defence, to protect their information and communication systems,” GCHQ press officer Caroline Waterfield stated.

This means we can offer excellent training and careers for people with specialist technical skills. However, the fact remains that many potential candidates remain unaware of GCHQ and what we do.

"Using video on Xbox Live helps carry our message to the right people in a creative and innovative manner.”