The British Army hopes satirical posters that make light of stereotypes of young adults as sensitive, egotistical, and unfocused will recruit young people into its ranks.
The Army’s “This is Belonging” campaign features six people, each with a set of skills often associated with today’s younger generations. Millennials are generally understood to be between the ages of 22 and 37, while members of Generation Z were born after 1997.
Posters tell “me me me millennials” that “your Army needs you and your self-belief” and “snowflakes” that “your Army needs you and your compassion.”
Others include references to “class clowns” who have “spirit,” “binge gamers” who have “drive,” “phone zombies” who can “focus,” and “selfie addicts” who are confident.
New ad campaign from British Army targeting gaming addicts “me me me millennials”, “snowflakes” & “selfie addicts” of Gen Z launches this month. pic.twitter.com/P4SjPMVIqy
— Lucy Fisher (@LOS_Fisher) January 3, 2019
Two of the six posters feature women in uniform.
The campaign is meant to get potential enlistees to “look beyond the stereotypes” and recognize how their interests in other things can translate to a successful military career, according to the BBC.
The typography and the black-and-white photos of soldiers in the campaign are reminiscent of the types of recruitment ads the British Army used during World War I.
