Army Toughens Up Recruiting With New Slogan

By Althea Thompson, 10.25.06

Recruiters prepare to flex their muscles with the unveiling of a new U.S. Army slogan, “Army Strong.” The new phrase will be launched nationwide on Veteran’s Day.

“Army Strong” is designed to portray the experiences of American soldiers, according to a U.S. Army news release.

“The Army helped me grow as a person, mature and appreciate life in general,” said Sgnt. Yahaida Ruiz. Her tour in Kuwait is just one of her many memories of the Army.

The motto was changed after recruitment dropped. The Army missed its recruiting target in 2005 by the widest margin in more than two decades, but bounced back in 2006 to gain 80,000 new soldiers according to an AP report.

The motto replaces “An Army of One” which has been the slogan since 2001. The new ads will be geared toward a younger audience and will appear on television, radio and the Internet. Print ads are scheduled to run in 2007.

Some felt that the “An Army of One” slogan did not portray a correct image of the Army.
“It didn’t attribute to the concept of working together,” said Sgnt. Ruiz who has served in the Army for six years. “It was geared toward individuals, and it’s about teamwork,” she said.

According to a Washington Times article, “the new slogan is meant to emphasize skills, leadership, teamwork, and selfless service.”

Even though the Army met its 2006 recruitment target a week ahead of schedule despite the war in Iraq, the old slogan just did not succeed.

To help keep high recruitment levels over the next four years, the Army signed a $1 billion contract with marketing agency McCann Worldgroup. McCann conducted extensive research by interacting daily with hundreds of prospective soldiers and their influences to create “Army Strong.”

“This is a campaign informed by research and inspired by soldiers,” said Eric Keshin, McCann Worldgroup’s worldwide chief operating officer and regional director of North America.

However, some people worry about the acceptance of the “Army Strong” campaign.

“I just hope they don’t get too Hollywood on us. The real emphasis should be on honor and duty to country, not some catchy phrase,” said Pete Ries, a Virginia law-enforcement officer and Army veteran.