Today’s U.S. Army is awesome. It’s the hot career where gamers want to be! That slogan of ours, “Army Strong?” No, dude, you’re supposed to scream it, you know, like the Incredible Hulk! Army Strong! ARMY SMASH!! And we totally get you gamers today, and all your cool hobbies. We do more than just give away a Wii every now and again. No, we’re turning our recruitment offices into totally sweet interactive exhibits, where you can see what it’s like to pilot an Apache, or a Black Hawk! Or a Humvee! Oh, you have a Humvee? Hell, you’re practically a soldier already! Sign this!!
Okay, so maybe there won’t be an overly enthusiastic young recruiter to show the kids he “gets” them, but BrandWeek is reporting (via GamePolitics) that the U.S. Army has undertaken an initiative to make their recruitment centers less “about as exciting as the post office,” and more like “Apple Stores.” Honestly, I doubt anyone who’s considered the army in the last five years has turned the job down because they were worried it would be boring.
From the BrandWeek article:
The first new recruitment center is designed to be less intimidating and more “like walking into a NASA center,” said Walters. It will consist of three large simulators with full-scale mock-ups of Army equipment and wrap-around 270-degree video screens.
The Apache simulator allows a pilot and co-pilot to experience the aircraft and its weapons systems. The Black Hawk helicopter simulator provides four door gunner positions. And, the armored HMMWV vehicle simulator has positions for a driver and several gunners. The centers also will include an area where visitors can compete in America’s Army, a videogame released in 2002.
Guys, you’re going about it all wrong. Start calling ranks and medals “achievements” and start letting people pre-order their tours, and you’re in business.
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