U.S. Launches Armed Services Campaign

A $1.7 million direct response effort touting the armed forces was begun in June by the U.S. Defense Department.

All the ads in the mostly print effort contain a toll-free telephone number and a Web site address (www.todaysmilitary.com), said Dan Gregory, vice president and account director for Mullen, the Wenham, MA agency that created the campaign.

The ads are designed to reach “influencers,” parents of young people who might think of joining the military, Gregory said. They focus on the qualities a person can develop in the service, including commitment and a sense of self.

Information on respondents will be collected both online and by phone, then included in the Defense Department's database. These names may be used for a direct mail campaign next year, according to Gregory.

In addition, the names of candidates who respond will be forwarded to the individual service branches for follow-up, Gregory said.

People who call the toll-free number will be sent a four-color brochure on the services, Gregory added. The brochure and Web site inform parents about “the way the services can meet their children's needs,” he said.

The print ads, which will run in national magazines like Time and People throughout the summer, feature military veterans. The campaign also includes a public service TV spot showcasing Valerie Vigoda, a former lieutenant in the Army National Guard who went on to pursue a musical career. “The fact that I've decided to go for my music career and succeed or die trying is, I think, a function of the confidence I got from being in the military,” she says during the spot.

Dr. David S. Chu, undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, said in a statement that the Defense Department hopes to “educate American adults about the values and competencies that can be gained through services, thereby increasing their propensity to recommend the military as a career path to the youth they influence.”

Chu pointed to a survey by Wirthlin Worldwide showing that only 11% of U.S. adults will advise their children to explore the military as an option after high school. Adults with experience in the service are more likely to recommend service to the young.