Military Recruitment in the Digital Age
Military recruitment has significantly evolved in the digital age. The latest campaign for the U.S. Army, "Find Your Next Level," does not explicitly push for military enlistment, but instead promotes civilian careers at the Department of Defense (DoD). According to the DoD’s website, civilian career opportunities include positions in science, technology, law, and administration. Which are all crucial roles in maintaining military operations.
Description of the Advertisements
I first encountered this campaign on YouTube as a recommended video. Both advertisements were posted nine months ago, in May 2024, and have accumulated over six million views combined. While I am familiar with traditional military recruitment ads urging enlistment, this campaign takes a different approach.
According to a U.S. Army article, the videos in this campaign "highlight the overall scale and impact of civilian roles and the opportunities that await civilians seeking careers with purpose." The Army promoted this campaign through TV, print, billboards, streaming videos, and social media platforms to capture a wide audience.
Ad #1: "Box"
Length: 30 seconds
Setting: A cold, tundra like environment where a group of geologists and other scientists are drilling into ice to extract a core sample.
Audio: The only sounds are the drill, hard work, the narrator, and the ambient noise of the frozen tundra.
Narration: "If you find yourself in a box that can no longer contain you, it's time to find a bigger box."
Imagery: The camera zooms out to show an entire research team, with tents, snowmobiles, and the United States flag, proudly waving in the wind.
Ad #2: "Sky"
Length: 30 seconds
Setting: A desert landscape featuring engineers and scientists working on satellites.
Audio: No music, only environmental sounds.
Narration: "If you choose to be challenged, the sky isn’t the limit. It’s just the beginning."
Imagery: A group of scientists collaborating over data while massive satellite equipment looms in the background.
Both ads are 30 seconds long, lack the usual background music, use unknown actors, and encourage viewers to "Find Your Next Level." The storytelling in the ad is simple yet effective, highlighting scientists engaged in real world research. The ads are clearly designed to generate excitement for potential opportunities. I can see how this approach might appeal to some viewers and how this can be an effective ad.
Persuasive Techniques Used
Fear of Missing Out (FOMO): The ads suggest that by not joining, you’re missing an exclusive career opportunity.
Bandwagon Effect: The messaging implies that many successful individuals are taking this path.
Call to Action: The campaign slogan, "Find Your Next Level," is encouraging immediate action.
In this campaign the specific use of digital marketing is particularly strategic and effective. By embedding recruitment messages within social media environments where young individuals are already engaging it, it is easy for viewers to be excited about these job opportunities. From the U.S. Army's YouTube I can see that this is one of their most popular videos on their webpage so I believe this marketing strategy was effective and reached a large audience.
Interpreting the Message
The military’s recruitment tactics are not new but have evolved to align with changing of their primary demographics' media consumption habits. The emphasis on "leveling up" directly appeals to a generation raised on gaming and self improvement narratives. An article published by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GOA) published a report sharing their findings and stated that "favorable views of the military are declining among Gen Z. And in FY 2023, several military services have missed their recruiting goals by thousands" and share that the current strategic goal for recruitment is "building a connection to the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields".
That being said, I believe the primary target audience consists of young men and women, from generation z, from lower to middle class backgrounds, particularly those uncertain about their career or educational paths. I acknowledge that my assumption about the audience being lower to middle class individuals is based on the belief that those with higher incomes are less likely to encounter these ads due to them being able to buy all of the subscriptions eliminating all ads. As a result, I do not believe individuals with higher incomes are exposed to the same recruitment messaging. Many individuals from lower income backgrounds are expected to be drawn in by promises of skill building opportunities and the hope of financial stability, making them more receptive to recruitment efforts.
Evaluating Effectiveness
Strengths:
High production value and compelling storytelling.
Effective use of digital platforms to reach target demographics.
Strong emphasis on real world career opportunities.
Weaknesses:
Presented a simplified portrayal as military or government work as something greater and a chance for self improvement.
Lacks transparency regarding potential risks and ethical considerations of military adjacent roles.
The messages in the ads were meant to be inspiring, but their message is not particularly unique.
The campaign is memorable due to its sleek production and compelling visuals, but its effectiveness depends on whether viewers recognize the full reality that not every one of these jobs will be flashy and exciting.
Public Reception and Social Media Strategy
This is a relatively new campaign for an established branch, and its overall effectiveness is still being evaluated. Unlike past military recruitment campaigns, there has been little media coverage or independent analysis of its impact. However, given its high viewership, this appears to be a successful campaign to reintroduce the civilians career branch of the DoD to the general public.
This campaign also seems to be a response to declining U.S. military enlistment. A 2017 report by the Council for a Strong America found that:
"In the United States, 71 percent of young people between the ages of 17 and 24 do not qualify for military service,"
Additionally, a CBS News article notes how the U.S. Army's current campaign has revived its 1980s slogan, "Be All You Can Be". This slogan and revival idea seemed to be directly taken from the suggested advertisement that the GOA had previously recommended for the army, which to me, feels like a lazy approach. This shift suggests that while traditional military recruitment faces challenges, the DoD is placing stronger emphasis on civilian careers to fill a variety of positions.
Final Thoughts: Would I Consider This Career Path?
This is a morally grey area for me. While I am not a fan of the military, I can acknowledge that a federal job with good benefits is tempting. The campaign is not dishonest in promoting real job opportunities, but I'm not sure that they can guarantee that you will "Find Your Next Level."
I wouldn’t stop anyone from pursuing this path, but I would strongly warn them about the potential risks of working near active military zones and the ethical implications of supporting and engaging in military operations.
What I Learned
The 2024 budget for the U.S. military advertising has not been released, but Rebuild Local News estimated that the "The Defense Department spent $1.14 billion on advertising in 2023." Often the past military campaigns featured flashy, high energy visuals to immerse viewers in a fast paced environment, but this current campaign was very minimal and missing the usual hoorah.
While I knew the Army Civilian Careers existed, I didn't know they were doing such a large scale campaign to recruit civilians to work for the DoD. From the Federal News Network podcast on this very campaign I even learned that this is the first ever campaign for this department. In the future I am very curious to see what the next U.S. military campaign will be and who will be the targeted demographic for recruitment.
Cheers,
Sam
Learn More
If you are interested in learning more about the Army Civilian Careers please check out these sources:
Department of Defense: Civilian Careers
Go Army: Army Civilian Careers
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