[ClutterbusterNY]

Those Madison Avenue types don't know squat about what makes Americans choose to serve our country...or as Covertness would say,
"what makes men fight".

Being in advertising myself, I can see where "Army Strong" came from. The same types of minds that brought you "Ford Tough"...and "Job One".
That's fine for selling cars, but you can't convince people to put their lives on the line with slogans. It is something that is already within them.
As for choosing a branch, information is all people need, not advertisements. I would be fired for saying this, but I'd think the Army could put that $1billon to better use investing it in enhancing the lives of our Soldiers and their families and taking care of our Veterans.
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“Army Strong” was developed by McCann Worldgroup, the communications firm the Army hired last December after struggling through a disappointing recruiting year. The overall five-year contract with McCann Worldgroup is valued at $1 billion, with the first two years guaranteed at $200 million annually.
The new slogan, developed in numerous tests with focus groups and interviews with soldiers, is meant to convey the idea that if you join the Army you will gain physical and emotional strength, as well as strength of character and purpose.
“What will happen if you come into the Army is what soldiers know happens: you become better,” Van Antwerp said in an interview. It also is aimed at selling the merits of Army service to parents, teachers and other “influencers” — adults who directly influence a young person’s direction in life, Van Antwerp said.
Harvey said the ad campaign “speaks to the essential truth” of being a soldier.
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Advertisers always target "influencers". They have no idea what an uphill
battle this is. There is nothing you can say to get parents and teachers to
push Military Service on kids, not in this day and age...and as we know first hand from some of our members, there's nothing you can do to stop kids who want to join!