Jonathan Fleck

You can save 2 people. You have 5 seconds to choose. Who will you save? The latest web masterpiece (and masterpiece is not too strong a word!) from Swedish design firm, North Kingdom, attempts to throw the visitor headfirst into the mindset of a soldier. What will you decide? How will you decide? How fast can you think? Split-second decisions can mean the difference between life and death, and this recruitment campaign for the Swedish Armed Forces gives you the opportunity to find out if you have what it takes. Dark, gritty, and thoroughly enjoyable – the set design is cinematic, the animation polished, and the narrative engaging. The website successfully communicates the values desired of the ideal recruit through a coherent mix of acting, set design, lighting, voice, background sounds, and animation. Colours and lighting are subdued and minimal throughout, and there’s reallly the sense that one is walking through a damp dark underground cavern where all sorts of dubious experiments or torturous acts are conducted. Make sure you have your speakers turned on.