Reuters
The US Army is in search of a new slogan and is moving to scrap "Army Strong" as it struggles to find new recruits, especially those between the ages of 18 and 24.
- The US Army is in search of a new slogan and is moving to scrap "Army Strong" as it struggles to find new recruits, especially those between the ages of 18 and 24.
- The Army wants a slogan that's closer to "Be All You Can Be," which it had great success with in the 1980s and 1990s.
- The Army's top enlisted soldier said other Army slogans like "Army of One" have struggled and they want something that not only appeals to young people but also influencers in their lives like parents and other family members.
The US Army is not so strong anymore on its recruiting slogan -"Army Strong."
The largest of the US military branches is struggling to find new recruits, especially those between the ages of 18 and 24, and is coming to the conclusion that the Army's brand isn't resonating with millennials.
"Army Strong" has been the Army's slogan for a little over a decade, but it began to be fazed out of recruiting ads back in 2015.
The Army- which has nearly 1 million soldiers in the active-duty and reserve forces, and the Army National Guard- is now looking for a slogan that tells more of a story, Sergeant Major of the Army Daniel Dailey recently told reporters.
"I think we have to change our marketing strategy as an Army, and we are looking at that right now," Dailey said.
"Army Strong" has also been the frequent butt of jokes and memes, often used with photos of overweight soldiers.
"One of the major responses we get when we survey folks who don't have experience with military service is strength, so we know the 'Army Strong' resonates...but I don't think it tells the story, the full story of being a soldier," Dailey added.
"'Army Strong' is a good, I think, bumper sticker, ad campaign, but it doesn't tell the story, so I think that we've got to do a better job telling the story of being a soldier," he said.
In this sense, the Army wants a slogan that's closer to "Be All You Can Be," which it had great success with in the 1980s and 1990s. Dailey said people continue to tell him they remember the "Be All You Can Be" slogan to this day.
"'Be All You Can Be' was a national identity to the Army ... it is still today," Dailey said. "I can say, 'Be All You Can Be' and people just - it was the national identity to the Army."
Dailey said other Army slogans like "Army of One" have struggled and they want something that not only appeals to young people but also influencers in their lives like parents and other family members.
When parents show enthusiasm for the military their children are more likely to enlist, according to research.
The US Navy has also struggled to find a recruiting slogan that captures the attention of millennials and their influencers. They recently retired their last slogan, "A Global Force For Good," in favor of, "Forged By The Sea."