Canadian Forces Recruiting ads

[Figleaf]

Has anyone seen these ads? They are a series of b/w clips of Canadian army guys in action, with four simple messages superimposed in sequence: "Fight fear. Fight distress. Fight chaos. Fight with the Canadian Armed Forces."

I think they are fantastic ads. They are forceful and state clearly a purpose you can be proud of doing in the forces, but they don't gussy it up with chrome and flags. I think these ads will appeal strongly to the right kind of recruits. Whoever is responsible for them has done a good job.

[Michael Bluth]

I think they are fantastic ads. They are forceful and state clearly a purpose you can be proud of doing in the forces, but they don't gussy it up with chrome and flags. I think these ads will appeal strongly to the right kind of recruits. Whoever is responsible for them has done a good job.

100% agreed.

[M.Dancer]

I agree.

The only criticism I have is the tenor of the soundtrack is too omenous, too ...not enough martial pride

[AndrewL]

I think an ad to join the forces is destined to the same misleading garbage that befalls any other ad.

Notice how the big mac is so big and juicy, but when you actually get it its flat and greasy and quite disgusting.

Andrew

[Mad_Michael]

Has anyone seen these ads? They are a series of b/w clips of Canadian army guys in action, with four simple messages superimposed in sequence: "Fight fear. Fight distress. Fight chaos. Fight with the Canadian Armed Forces."

I think they are fantastic ads. They are forceful and state clearly a purpose you can be proud of doing in the forces, but they don't gussy it up with chrome and flags. I think these ads will appeal strongly to the right kind of recruits. Whoever is responsible for them has done a good job.

If you signed up, then yes, the ads are good.

But if you didn't sign up, then you are in no position to praise the ads (indeed you are suggesting the ads don't work very well).

The ads ought to be judged on 'sign-up metrics' or not at all.

One thing you can be certain of, even if the ads do not work at all, the ad agency will get paid and they will pad their expenses by 250% and the contract will be renewed. The government committee that authorised the ads, regardless of the effectiveness of the ads, will get bonuses and promotions.

Good ads, bad ads, what's the difference? They all get raises and promotions and that's all that really matters here.

Btw, did you know that the Canadian Armed Forces has the highest ratio of General officers to non-General officers in the western world? Figures.

[Figleaf]

Has anyone seen these ads? They are a series of b/w clips of Canadian army guys in action, with four simple messages superimposed in sequence: "Fight fear. Fight distress. Fight chaos. Fight with the Canadian Armed Forces."

I think they are fantastic ads. They are forceful and state clearly a purpose you can be proud of doing in the forces, but they don't gussy it up with chrome and flags. I think these ads will appeal strongly to the right kind of recruits. Whoever is responsible for them has done a good job.

If you signed up, then yes, the ads are good.

But if you didn't sign up, then you are in no position to praise the ads (indeed you are suggesting the ads don't work very well).

Ease up, amigo. The ads are targetted quite deliberately at a different demographic than me.

The ads ought to be judged on 'sign-up metrics' or not at all.

You will note that attracting recruits was a key element of my analysis. Still, I think there are other ways that can be used to judge something, dpending on what you want to judge.

Btw, did you know that the Canadian Armed Forces has the highest ratio of General officers to non-General officers in the western world? Figures.

Yes, I had heard that. It's not especially laudable, but it is partly explained by the demographic effects of sharply shrinking the overall size of the forces from 1945 onward.

[jenny]

I think an ad to join the forces is destined to the same misleading garbage that befalls any other ad.

Notice how the big mac is so big and juicy, but when you actually get it its flat and greasy and quite disgusting.

Andrew

Agreed 100%

[daniel]

The ad seems appropriate for those who are willing to enter into the goriness of war without the false sense of machismo that video games portray.

I suppose if you want it any more realistic, the ads would have Joshua Key make a few statements.

[Catchme]

"Fight fear. Fight distress. Fight chaos. Fight with the Canadian Armed Forces."

I think these ads will appeal strongly to the right kind of recruits.

Btw, did you know that the Canadian Armed Forces has the highest ratio of General officers to non-General officers in the western world? Figures.

What is fighting fear? What is fighting distress? What is fighting chaos? What are the "right" kind of recruits?

How does one fight fear? How does one fight distress? How does one fight chaos? Are they fighting for it, or against it?

Fighting creats fear, fighting creats distress, fighting creates chaos, so in truth our military would be creating the things the ad says fight. So then in truth it would be:

Fight for Fear, Fight for Distress, Fight for Chaos. Fight for the Canadian Armed Forces.

These ads smack of the disasterous fight comments of the CPC's 2005 election campaign revamped for the Canadian military recruitment campaign. So, maybe they will target the "right" type of people.

Well, quite clearly, we gotta have more enlisted men readily available to give up their lives for all those officers just waiting for enlisted men to command. Then we gotta find some fear that need fighting, some distress that needs fighting, and some chaos that needs fighting, just so we can ad to it, and create more.

[Michael Bluth]

These ads smack of the disasterous fight comments of the CPC's 2005 election campaign revamped for the Canadian military recruitment campaign. So, maybe they will target the "right" type of people.

Are you referring to the distrasous Liberal campaign ads that tried to misrepresent the Conservative plan to have garrisons based near major centres? "Soldiers with Guns in our streets."

Your response goes to show the depth to which those who hate the Goverment will stoop. We need more recruits. These ads are well-produced and directed at the right target audience. Anybody attacking the Government over them will never agree with anything a Conservative Goverment would do...

[Wilber]

What is fighting fear? What is fighting distress? What is fighting chaos? What are the "right" kind of recruits?

How does one fight fear? How does one fight distress? How does one fight chaos? Are they fighting for it, or against it?

Fighting creats fear, fighting creats distress, fighting creates chaos, so in truth our military would be creating the things the ad says fight. So then in truth it would be:

Fight for Fear, Fight for Distress, Fight for Chaos. Fight for the Canadian Armed Forces.

Walk into your local Legion and tell that to the WW2 and Korean vets.

[Army Guy]

Btw, did you know that the Canadian Armed Forces has the highest ratio of General officers to non-General officers in the western world? Figures.

You have a source for that gem, Although it is true that we do have a high number of general officers we are far for the highest, check italy's for one.

[Figleaf]

What is fighting fear? What is fighting distress? What is fighting chaos? What are the "right" kind of recruits?

How does one fight fear? How does one fight distress? How does one fight chaos? Are they fighting for it, or against it?

You ask those questions as if you think they have no answer, but in fact they do. Ways that the forces fight fear, distress, and chaos are exemplified in the ad.

The right kind of recruit is a person with altruistic motivations and sound ethics coupled with a kick ass attitude, an appreciation for heirachical organization, and a strong propensity for groups and teams.

Fighting creats fear, fighting creats distress, fighting creates chaos,...

I'm afraid I don't find this sort of sloganeering very persuasive. It's a simplistic sort of moral relativism that fails to acknowledge that resistance to injustice is just.

Well, quite clearly, we gotta have more enlisted men readily available to give up their lives for all those officers just waiting for enlisted men to command.

I believe I heard somewhere that in modern warfare it is, per capita, the junior officers who bear the highest casualty rate.

[Army Guy]

I think the ads clearly depict what life is all about in the CF, it clearly shows the many different aspects of military life from SAR, to humanitarian assistance, to combat. It does not glorify anything but gives potential recruits a no non-sense look at what to expect.

Notice how the big mac is so big and juicy, but when you actually get it its flat and greasy and quite disgusting.

It does'nt get any flatter, or greasier than that, no where did they promise a vaction spot on some beach gocking at all the babes, instead they promised you a hard life, doing one of the worlds most dangrous jobs, serving our great nation in it's armed forces. And if you did'nt see that watch it again.

[Army Guy]

Well said Figleaf...

[Remiel]

I think the adds are pretty decent. Being part of the demographics they are aimed at, I would even say they have incrementally increased the chances of me deciding to join the Forces one day, but if you insist on only measuring their effectiveness as all or nothing, then I guess you wouldn't be happy with that result. I'll spare you the my nitpicking about specific nouns used...

[AndrewL]

I believe I heard somewhere that in modern warfare it is, per capita, the junior officers who bear the highest casualty rate.

In modern warfare it is civilians who bear the highest casualty rate. Perhaps that ad should make a point of that.

Andrew

[AndrewL]

I think the ads clearly depict what life is all about in the CF, it clearly shows the many different aspects of military life from SAR, to humanitarian assistance, to combat. It does not glorify anything but gives potential recruits a no non-sense look at what to expect.

Notice how the big mac is so big and juicy, but when you actually get it its flat and greasy and quite disgusting.

It does'nt get any flatter, or greasier than that, no where did they promise a vaction spot on some beach gocking at all the babes, instead they promised you a hard life, doing one of the worlds most dangrous jobs, serving our great nation in it's armed forces. And if you did'nt see that watch it again.

i never claimed they did offer glory. My point was that an ad is always a misrepresentation of reality. No matter what. It has to be. Reality is dirty, flat , and greasy, and thats no way to attract recruits.

Andrew

[Army Guy]

i never claimed they did offer glory. My point was that an ad is always a misrepresentation of reality. No matter what. It has to be. Reality is dirty, flat , and greasy, and thats no way to attract recruits.

Nor did i say you did, My piont was it did not misrepresent anything it did not sugar coat it, it presented it as dirty,flat, and greasy, the way it should, keep in mind it is looking for indiv's that are up to the challange, not those looking for glory or the beaches, but those that don't mind hard dirty, greasy work.

What part of the ad did you find misrepresented.

[AndrewL]

i never claimed they did offer glory. My point was that an ad is always a misrepresentation of reality. No matter what. It has to be. Reality is dirty, flat , and greasy, and thats no way to attract recruits.

Nor did i say you did, My piont was it did not misrepresent anything it did not sugar coat it, it presented it as dirty,flat, and greasy, the way it should, keep in mind it is looking for indiv's that are up to the challange, not those looking for glory or the beaches, but those that don't mind hard dirty, greasy work.

What part of the ad did you find misrepresented.

I did not interpret it that way. To me it certainly made an attempt not to glorify, but it still did not show the reality of war or of military life. It can't. Just like MacDs cant show the reality behind fast food, and just like a car ad does nto show the reality of me spending most of the time in my car inching forward in a maddening and pathetic commute to and from work. Ads are no reality, they are a fantasy of what we all wish reality was. The Armed Forces are no exception to this.

Andrew

[M.Dancer]

I believe I heard somewhere that in modern warfare it is, per capita, the junior officers who bear the highest casualty rate.

In modern warfare it is civilians who bear the highest casualty rate. Perhaps that ad should make a point of that.

Andrew

Good point. Canadians are naturally sympathetic to the plight of civilians. The ads should somehow reflect that it is the insurgents who are targetting civilians and are inflicting the highest casualty rates on civilians.

There are very good reasons to fight, protecting the lives of civilians is high amongst them.

[Canadian Blue]

With regards to the ads, I remember a friend of mine in Borden telling me they were all watching TV when the CF ad came on. After watching it everybody said, "man, I haven't done any of that yet". I'll admit the ads do sexify the image of the CF, but they aren't 100% accurate.

[AndrewL]

I believe I heard somewhere that in modern warfare it is, per capita, the junior officers who bear the highest casualty rate.

In modern warfare it is civilians who bear the highest casualty rate. Perhaps that ad should make a point of that.

Andrew

Good point. Canadians are naturally sympathetic to the plight of civilians. The ads should somehow reflect that it is the insurgents who are targetting civilians and are inflicting the highest casualty rates on civilians.

There are very good reasons to fight, protecting the lives of civilians is high amongst them.

All sides of war inflict higher rates of damage on civilians. Be it air strikes, scared soldiers firing into crowds, plain old murder, cluster bombs, etc.... Neither insurgents nor state armies aim at civilians (with some exceptions), but civilians are always killed at a higher ratio. Terrorists are the ones who taget civilians directly.

Look @ the israeli/hezbolah war. Israel killed more civilians than combatants, whereas Hezbollah (not for lack of trying) killed more IDF soldiers than israeli civilians. Israel is still killing innocent children in this war because they dropped millions of cluster bombs in civilian areas after the cease fire.

Look at the history of war in the 20th century. Far more civilians died at the hands of all sides than in any century past.

All modern war is the same.

Andrew

[M.Dancer]

Neither insurgents nor state armies aim at civilians (with some exceptions), but civilians are always killed at a higher ratio. Terrorists are the ones who taget civilians directly.

That is patently false. Look up definition of terrorist.

[noahbody]

If you signed up, then yes, the ads are good.

But if you didn't sign up, then you are in no position to praise the ads (indeed you are suggesting the ads don't work very well).

The ads ought to be judged on 'sign-up metrics' or not at all.

Actually, as an ad guy I couldn't disagree with you more. The purpose of the ads is to attract a certain type of individual who will help create an qualtiy operation. Ignoring the requirements of the job and only stating the benefits is not a wise approach for the forces or any other career that requires courage. Firemen get good benefits too, but if you're running a fire department, it's a good idea to attract those who have the courage to enter a burning house when necessary.