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Sources say the programme is of particular importance in the current climate when troops are likely to put their lives at risk in Iraq.

Mark Bainbridge, Army recruiting group marketing director, this week appointed Tequila\London to handle its relationship marketing at a time when interest the armed forces has been intensified by the looming war.

The brief to Tequila, which begins working with the Army next month, will include creative development of Camouflage, which now has more than 120,000 members aged between 13 and 17.

Bainbridge said Tequila was awarded the work on the basis of its strategic thinking, creativity and pricing. The agency pitched against rivals including the incumbent CFW, Tullo Marshall Warren, Publicis Dialog and WWAV Rapp Collins.

Camouflage has become one of the most widely known relationship marketing initiatives in the UK, and has been used the Army to build and maintain contact with prospective recruits throughout their formative years.

Bainbridge is likely to use Tequila's appointment to spearhead an evolution of the current marketing strategy, which is set to include the establishment of affinity partnerships with youth brands that have an interest in Camouflage's target audience.

The relationship marketing switch does not affect the Army's above-the-line account, which moved from Saatchi & Saatchi to sister agency Publicis at the start of last year.

Publicis' most recent work was a fundamental overhaul of the Army's brand communications strategy, which involved targeting potential recruits through a cluster of career sub-brands.

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