Why do all those US Armed Forces recruiting ads sound like video games?

[LynneSin]

First and foremost, I love watching MTv, mainly their original Reality TV shows including Real World, Road Rules and new favorites I wanna new face, Pimp my ride and Made.

Obviously I'm not the key audience for these shows based on their advertisers but it seems the biggest one is any of the US Armed Forces.

They make serving our country sound like playing war games on your X-Box or PS2 system. Geez, after seeing a dozen of these commericals it almost makes me want to sign up and serve.

But they don't mention that right now a bulk of our military is heading over to Iraq and many of them have no clue when they are coming home. Why don't they tell this truth in those commericials

[T Roosevelt]

1. Consider their audience

17-20 year olds who spend lots of time playing shoot-em-up video games...

[skooooo]

3. Speaking of younger people...

...if the draft is inacted, I think they're in for a real shock. Comments I see on the internet lead me to think that they believe that somehow they can 'negotiate' everything. I've seen them say things like, "If I'm drafted to go to Afghanistan, I'd go, but not if I'm drafted to go to Iraq."

I really think that we've raised a generation (or more) who has been able to negotiate grades, assignments, punishments, etc. to the point where they have no concept of what being FORCED to do something is. Maybe I'm wrong, but I think when they get to the draft board and try to start discussing their "options", they'll be sorely disappointed. Hopefully they won't have to find out.

[GOPisEvil]

2. Who's the audience?

Mostly 16-18 year old young men.

[MSgt213]

4. Those ads are not done by the military. They are done by the same ad

agencies that market products and services that you see every single day. Yes the military has to approve them, but no one in the military is an ad expert. They don't have the resources or ability to have focus groups and other studies needed to ensure what you are doing is selling your product.

[Loonman]

5. Sign of the times

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

The Armed Forces has an ad budget, just like everybody else.

[Guaranteed]

6. Have you seen the video game ads?

In particular the Tom Clancy ones?

"Freedom Isn't Free"

Kids saying the Pledge of Allegiance in the background...

Yeah, they're definitely working together.

[Bill McBlueState]

7. the converse

A lot of the video game ads sound like Armed Forces recruiting ads. "Hey, kids, Iraq is fun!"

[trogdor]

8. Check out the America's Army RPG

It's actually pretty good. My son plays it from time to time. They must have gotten the best minds in the biz on that project.