Army Strong

I can still here the jingle in my head: “Be all that you can be. . . in the army.” It was a great slogan. It was heard on television ads and seen in print ads for nearly 20 years. And it served the Army well in creating recognition of the military branch and recruiting new members.

In January 2001, the Army adopted a new slogan: the often-criticized “Army of One.” Not quite the same ring as “be all that you can be.” Apparently it’s not such a great recruiting slogan either. The Army did not meet its recruiting goal last year; in fact, according to the associated press, it missed its goal by the biggest margin since 1979.

This Veterans Day, the Army will launch a multimedia ad campaign featuring a new slogan: “Army Strong.” The Army hopes that the slogan will convey the message that in the Army, people can build physical and emotional strength, in addition to strength of purpose and character.

“Army Strong.” It seems to be an improvement over “Army of One.” Really, how can a person maintain his/her individuality in the Army, where it’s all about regiment, following orders, and chain of command?

Will the new slogan provide the increase in recruits that the Army is looking for, though? And will it be as memorable as “be all that you can be?” It seems that the messages of the two slogans are similar. But will this new one last for 20 years, or will we even remember it 20 years from now?

It is an interesting exercise to look at the effectiveness of branding in relation to a branch of the military as opposed to a marketer trying to sell a product. Just like anything else, only time will tell of the new slogan’s effectiveness-- but I think it’s a vast improvement over “army of one.”

- Christina