Corps premieres its latest recruiting ad

I have always admired the Army recruiting comercials, because they show what Soldiers actually do. Now I've seen the new Marine Corps recruiting comercial, and as a veteran Marine I am humiliated. All it shows are a bunch of pretty boys playing with wooden rifles. One tenth of one tenth of 1% of Marines actually serve in the Silet Drill Team. This is not descriptive as to what kind of life you will lead while in the Corps. It actually just shoves off into the dark corner what Marines actually do, be it Infantry, Supply, Admin, whatever, just please for God's sake show Marines actually being Marines, don't fill prospective recruits minds with this stupid dog and pony show BS. Okay okay, not every Marine should be humiliated by this comercial, every Marine except well, the oh so holy Silent Drill Team. GIVE ME A BREAK! The Marine Corps has just done a grave disservice to all the Marines in the Corps today, oh well, except for the Silent Drill Team.

[CommunityEditor]

A new and elaborately produced television commercial dubbed “America’s Marines” was unveiled Wednesday night in a marquee time slot during FOX TV’s “American Idol.”

The 60-second ad portrays real-life Marines in dress blues in scenes from coast to coast, starting at a lighthouse in Rhode Island; running through several small towns and the snow-capped Rocky Mountains; and ending with Marines under San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge. The Silent Drill Platoon is featured.

The ad underscores a shift in the way the Marine Corps markets itself. For years, the emphasis was placed on “personal transformation” in the process of becoming a Marine, highlighted in the longtime slogan: “The few, the proud, the Marines.”

“Our strategy has evolved beyond transformation,” said Lt. Col. Mike Zeliff, assistant chief of staff for marketing and advertising. “With this generation of young people, you have to go beyond what it is for them. … They really are concerned about the greater good.

“They may not know whether they want to join the Peace Corps or the Marine Corps,” Zeliff said.

The evocative images of the American landscape are designed to emphasize “the intangible benefits of service to country,” he added.

A crew traveling across the country took nearly three months to film the ad, which includes images shot from a helicopter of Marines standing on a ledge in the Grand Canyon.

The Corps is rolling out the new ad along with a new Web site, which focuses on telling “the longer Marine Corps story,” and features first-hand stories from current Marines, Zeliff said.

The ad will be seen during professional basketball games, on ESPN Sports Center and on the BET channel.

About 75 percent of the Corps’ marketing efforts target prospective recruits themselves, while the other 25 percent is aimed at parents and other “influencers” who can affect a young person’s decisions, Zeliff said.


Article: http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news...new_ad_080116/
The ad: http://www.militarytimes.com/multime...80116marinead/
Web site: http://our.marines.com/

I know what you mean. The MC can do a way better job of advertising what Marines really do on a daily basis. However, recruiting isn't so easy. Instead of showing the public what we are meant to do, they have to sell the image of Marines looking good and being sharp with their rifle skills. If you tell people how the Marine Corps really is, you're not going to get a high number of enlistees. If my recruiter had told me about field day, barracks life, the politics in the Corps, or anything else negative that comes to mind, I would never have raised my right hand. He told me good things about the Corps but they were a little far from the truth. The Marine Corps is something that some people learn to love if they didn't in the first place. Some recruiting techniques are a necessary evil for the Marine Corps. I feel like the Marine Corps shouldn't have to advertise because every time I watch a Marine commercial with a civilian, it just seems a little weird because it seems like I bought into the commercial.

We finally have an oustanding and inspiring effort to convey the FULL CONTEXT of Military Service!

Best of Class! Best of Show!

[james]

I personally like the ad, sharp dressed, looking cool like Marines in the their service blues, but It would be nice if they could implement some of the expedetionary missions they have recently been involved in. But then again, this comes down to selling their service just like the rest of the military branches, no one has complained yet on the Navy's version, all they show are Navy SEALS, SWCC, and EOD.

[RETSGTMAJ]

The ad is done in a very professional manner and the Dress Blues have always been the benchmark of our Corps. However, slinging antique rifles around in blues all over the United States is not being a Marine is all about. The ads should focus on Marines in real situations, tanks, artillery, infantry, motor T, aviation, etc, etc, the things young men and women join our Corps for. One of the things we need to do is get rid of "career recruiters" and "career retention specialists." Bring in Marines who have "been there and done that." I find it impossible that some SNCO who has been on recruiting duty his whole career can explain to a new prospect what the Marine Corps is all about.

Originally Posted by hawaiimarine

I know what you mean. The MC can do a way better job of advertising what Marines really do on a daily basis. However, recruiting isn't so easy. Instead of showing the public what we are meant to do, they have to sell the image of Marines looking good and being sharp with their rifle skills. If you tell people how the Marine Corps really is, you're not going to get a high number of enlistees. If my recruiter had told me about field day, barracks life, the politics in the Corps, or anything else negative that comes to mind, I would never have raised my right hand. He told me good things about the Corps but they were a little far from the truth. The Marine Corps is something that some people learn to love if they didn't in the first place. Some recruiting techniques are a necessary evil for the Marine Corps. I feel like the Marine Corps shouldn't have to advertise because every time I watch a Marine commercial with a civilian, it just seems a little weird because it seems like I bought into the commercial.

Hawaiimarine(?)

You mean to tell me that you actually think FIELD DAY is negative? Cleaning your workspace/quarters is a "bad" thing? WOW. I hope like HELL you are not an NCO. This is a damm shame.

[KrashKatz]

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Hawaiimarine(?)

You mean to tell me that you actually think FIELD DAY is negative? Cleaning your workspace/quarters is a "bad" thing? WOW. I hope like HELL you are not an NCO. This is a damm shame.

He/She probably isn't trying to say its a bad thing, but do you personally view field day as being an enjoyable experience?

As far as the recruiting ad, its nice, but wouldn't compell me to go see a recruiter. I like the old ad better.

Originally Posted by RETSGTMAJ

The ad is done in a very professional manner and the Dress Blues have always been the benchmark of our Corps. However, slinging antique rifles around in blues all over the United States is not being a Marine is all about. The ads should focus on Marines in real situations, tanks, artillery, infantry, motor T, aviation, etc, etc, the things young men and women join our Corps for. One of the things we need to do is get rid of "career recruiters" and "career retention specialists." Bring in Marines who have "been there and done that." I find it impossible that some SNCO who has been on recruiting duty his whole career can explain to a new prospect what the Marine Corps is all about.

Obviously you never spent any time on Recruiting Duty, SgtMaj. There is no such thing as a career recruiter that has been on recruiting duty his whole career. Most career recruiters become career recruiters at the rank of SSgt and GySgt, in fact there is a MSGT who is curently in career recruiter school as a student. A Marine is picked for the career recruiter MOS usually because of his leadership skills. A career recruiter's hardest job is leading young Cpl's and Sgt's through 36 consecutive months of being told no constantly, along with the pressure of making their mission in cities that do not support the military, which is growing daily. These are the Marines that are young and don't know much about the Corps, so the career recruiter has to be able to not only lead but mentor these Marines so they can communicate to the civilian population what we do as Marines.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

I have always admired the Army recruiting comercials, because they show what Soldiers actually do. Now I've seen the new Marine Corps recruiting comercial, and as a veteran Marine I am humiliated. All it shows are a bunch of pretty boys playing with wooden rifles. One tenth of one tenth of 1% of Marines actually serve in the Silet Drill Team. This is not descriptive as to what kind of life you will lead while in the Corps. It actually just shoves off into the dark corner what Marines actually do, be it Infantry, Supply, Admin, whatever, just please for God's sake show Marines actually being Marines, don't fill prospective recruits minds with this stupid dog and pony show BS. Okay okay, not every Marine should be humiliated by this comercial, every Marine except well, the oh so holy Silent Drill Team. GIVE ME A BREAK! The Marine Corps has just done a grave disservice to all the Marines in the Corps today, oh well, except for the Silent Drill Team.

I agree with the comments the other Career Recruiter made, RETSGTMAJ you must have never earned a recruiting ribbon. Career Recruiting have the toughest job in the Marine Corps, and that is lead and teach a Marine(Sgt-GySgt) how to communicate with a civilian/high school student/college student. It is our job to lead and teach that Sgt-GySgt how to explain how the Marine Corps story/history/traditions. RETSGTMAJ, that is the true reason why the American population joins the Marine Corps. It not all about "been there and done that". Yes, I can say that I have never "been there and done that" if your comment is about deploying to a combat enviroment, but I can say that I have earned the title "UNITED STATES MARINE". Which is the same title you earned. Its not all about what your job is, or what you have done, what really matters is that you have the heart and desire to take up the challenge to become a Marine. In which we both have done. CAREER RECRUITER 8412