Why does the US military advertise?

  • Thread starter Thread starter ShawnD
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Military
AI Thread Summary
The discussion centers on the necessity of military advertising in the U.S., despite a perceived abundance of recruits. Participants highlight that military recruiters are present in high schools, indicating an ongoing effort to attract new personnel. There is speculation about a potential draft due to recent global events, which underscores the need for a larger recruitment pool. The conversation emphasizes that military advertising aims to present service as an appealing career option, showcasing benefits like education, travel, and personal development. This strategy contrasts with the historical decline in military popularity post-Vietnam, suggesting that the military prefers a competitive recruitment environment to ensure they attract the best candidates. The analogy to major brands like Coke and McDonald's illustrates that even well-known entities continue to advertise to maintain visibility and appeal.
ShawnD
Science Advisor
Messages
715
Reaction score
2
I assume that Americans know what the military is, so why is there a need to advertise? It's not like the US military needs more people in it; many of the Americans I know online are in the military or are going to be. Americans I have associated with have said there are military recruiters at high schools; I mean they have their own office in the school.

Why advertise?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Actually, there is talk of another draft due to all the recent activities.

Just thinking in general terms, the more people that you have to choose from, and the more that the military can look like a smart career option, then on the average more exceptional people and people with the "right stuff" can be found. When I allllllmost joined the Navy around 1980, the popularity of military service had been on a real downslide for a long time - really ever since Vietnam. As a result, one argument presented for joining was that given the current competition, a smart person can go very far, very quickly. This is not what the military wants. They want a buyers market; not a sellers market.
 
Last edited:
remember the Simpsons episode? Yvan Eht Nioj...
 
Like Ivan said, we're actually dangerously near a shortage of troops in America. When the military advertises, it's not like "We're the military, we use weapons to kill people who want to do bad things to you", they tell you more about the education you can get in the military, places you travel, character you will gain, and try to insight nationalistic feelings about fighting in the military.
 
Everyone knows what Coke and McDonalds are, but they still advertise :wink:
 
Similar to the 2024 thread, here I start the 2025 thread. As always it is getting increasingly difficult to predict, so I will make a list based on other article predictions. You can also leave your prediction here. Here are the predictions of 2024 that did not make it: Peter Shor, David Deutsch and all the rest of the quantum computing community (various sources) Pablo Jarrillo Herrero, Allan McDonald and Rafi Bistritzer for magic angle in twisted graphene (various sources) Christoph...
Thread 'My experience as a hostage'
I believe it was the summer of 2001 that I made a trip to Peru for my work. I was a private contractor doing automation engineering and programming for various companies, including Frito Lay. Frito had purchased a snack food plant near Lima, Peru, and sent me down to oversee the upgrades to the systems and the startup. Peru was still suffering the ills of a recent civil war and I knew it was dicey, but the money was too good to pass up. It was a long trip to Lima; about 14 hours of airtime...
Back
Top