During the first to middle Nineteen Nineties, the U.S. Army had very little bother attracting enough young men to enlist for military service. The collapse of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics had nearly over, and therefore the conflict hightech, that meant that fewer troopers were required. Thus, the military was downsized by forty p.c, creating it simple to achieve modest enlisting goals. enlisting advertising used the “Be All that you just will Be” tagline and relied totally on overpriced tv commercials to deliver the self-actualization message. The ads conjointly stressed however change of integrity the military provided opportunities for career coaching, school scholarships, and different money incentives.
While its enlisting promoting strategy worked well within the early to middle ‘90s, by the later a part of the last decade the military found itself losing the battle to recruit America’s youth. The military recruiting surroundings had modified because the booming economy of the ‘90s created several different opportunities for prime college graduates. The Army’s money package wasn't enough to draw in qualified recruits, and plenty of highschool graduates weren't willing to endure the stress of military training. However, the core challenge facing the military was deeply stock-still negative perceptions of the military. analysis showed that sixty three p.c of young adults 17–24 aforementioned there was no manner they might enlist within the military, associate degreed solely twelve p.c indicated an interest in military service. Comments like, “not for folks like American state,” “for losers,” and, “only for those with no different options” were typical of the emotions children command toward military service. Moreover, even for several of these UN agency would contemplate accomplishment within the service, the military was their fourth alternative among the branches of the military because it had major image issues on key attributes thought-about vital in an exceedingly posthigh college chance. All of those factors resulted within the Army missing its recruiting goals 3 out of the 5 years throughout the late ‘90s, despite defrayal more cash on enlisting advertising than any branch of the military. In early 2000, Secretary of the military Joe Louis volcanic crater proclaimed that: “We area unit all dynamic the manner we have a tendency to do Army advertising. we've got to adopt the forms of practices that the most effective promoting firms use to draw in today’s youth.” His new promoting strategy concerned a replacement drive and a replacement media strategy that enclosed less reliance on tv ads and larger use of the web, and “e-recruiting” to enhance the Army’s transformation into a a lot of mobile, advanced force. In June of 2000, volcanic crater proclaimed the hiring of Leo author USA, Chicago, as its new agency, commutation Young & Rubicam that had created Army ads since 1987.
One of the primary choices facing Leo author was whether or not to continue with the long running “Be All that you just will Be” tagline. though extremely recognizable, the agency felt that the tagline had lost its connexion with young adults and will not be accustomed reposition the military and forge a reference to this target market. The agency came up with a replacement advertising and positioning theme that may be the premise for the integrated promoting campaign—”An Army of 1.” The inventive strategy behind the theme is that it'd bring around the forefront the concept that troopers area unit the Army’s {most vital|most vital|most significant} resource and highlight that every individual will and will create a difference; that his/her contributions area unit important to the success of the entire team. The “An Army of One” campaign would send a message that a soldier isn't unnamed or faceless , however a part of a unified cluster of people UN agency along produce the strength of the U.S. Army.
A major goal of the “An Army of One” campaign is to supply young adults with associate degree correct check out what it means that to be a soldier in today’s Army. A key section of the campaign was referred to as “Basic Training” that uses a reality based mostly tv format created in style by the hit show Survivor. The unscripted TV spots feature temporary profiles of six actual army recruits as they progress through military training, giving viewers a glimpse of their personal experiences and opinions as they remodel from civilians into troopers. The ads conjointly encourage prospective recruits to go to the military web site (GoArmy.com) to expertise an entire, in-depth transmission “webisode” presentation together with statement from the recruits. the net website was re-designed in early 2001 by Chemistri, associate degree interactive agency that may be a subsidiary of Leo author, with the goal of creating it a simpler enlisting tool. the location is a resource for potential recruits curious {about|inquisitive regarding|fascinated by} learning about the military and helps them overcome fears about military training, will increase their understanding of career opportunities obtainable, and introduces them to troopers like themselves.
The “An Army of One” campaign has been an excellent success. though its media budget was twenty p.c below the previous year, the military consummated its 2001 recruiting goal of one hundred fifteen,000 new recruits one month early. Television, print, radio and on-line ads were effective in driving traffic to GoArmy.com as visits to {the web|the on-line|the net} website doubled and online leads were up by seventy five p.c. the net website has won many awards together with a prestigious Cannes Cyber Lion and has become a put concentration for the Army’s enlisting efforts. the general “An Army of One” integrated campaign conjointly won associate degree Effie Award mutually of the foremost effective promoting programs of the year. Mission accomplished.