DougRichards Posted July 28, 2007 Posted July 28, 2007 (edited) First, the link to a gallery of the contraversial posters, and a link to a news article about them. Article in post after this one the gallery: http://www.news.com.au/gallery/0,23607,502...07150-9,00.html the article http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,22145692-2,00.html An interesting set of posters, but are they appropriate? Methinks that these posters will become collectors items very quickly. And the idea of a buxom RAEME tradeswoman holding a spanner in that way could be construed in ways that have nothing to do with vehicle maintenance. Edited July 28, 2007 by DougRichards
DougRichards Posted July 28, 2007 Author Posted July 28, 2007 Lara Croft clone sends message for the boys By Ian McPhedranJuly 28, 2007 12:00am Female Digger 'idealised' male version Army accepts campaign "might not appeal to all" Navy expects boost from Sea Patrol MOVE over Angelina Jolie, the army is using Australia's version of Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, to encourage women to join the forces. Posters approved by the office of Chief of Army Lieutenant General Peter Leahy, depict the modern woman Digger as a buxom, full-lipped wonder woman with a sculpted body wearing a tight-fitting uniform. But the posters, on which the female soldier always appears to look like a million dollars - have caused some offence. Included in the series are images of a uniformed brunette stirring a pot as a cook; wielding a large spanner as an engineer; singing up a storm with the army band and striding across the helicopter tarmac in a skin-tight flying suit. The cartoon heroine fairly bursts out of her white medical gear in the Dental Corps poster. "We want you" is the message scrawled across the posters in Indiana Jones script. Unfortunately, many women in the military do not believe the "you" as depicted even exists. They believe the posters send inappropriate signals. One senior air force officer was appalled by the portrayal. "I think they are woeful and say a lot about how army males see the world," she said. "They surely couldn't work and we wouldn't necessarily want the type of women attracted by the posters. "I hope the RAAF doesn't go the same way." The sexy Digger's male comrade is a chiselled-jawed man in skin-tight overalls. A Defence spokeswoman said the posters were not designed for outside recruiting but rather to encourage soldiers to consider a change in trade. "Army accepted that this campaign might not appeal to all personnel," she said. "Professional marketing advice indicated the use of cartoon caricatures would engage the intended targeted audience, predominantly young males in combat-related roles. "In its first week of testing, 450 soldiers indicated a preference to sign-up to a trade transfer, compared with 35 the week before." According to well-placed sources, the offending posters are about to be recalled. Meanwhile, the TV navy drama Sea Patrol is expected to deliver a recruiting boon to the navy. A website linked with the program will soon be launched so prospective sailors can interact with the Sea Patrol crew. A Defence source said it was too early to judge the impact of the show, but he said its predecessor Patrol Boat had been a good recruiting tool.
Rubberneck Posted July 28, 2007 Posted July 28, 2007 They look childish, and with the Oz Army fighting alongside the Americans in Afghanistan (any in Iraq? Dunno) I'd say they also send the wrong message.
Sven Arvidsson Posted July 28, 2007 Posted July 28, 2007 More truthful British Army recruitment poster: (No, not really.)
DougRichards Posted July 28, 2007 Author Posted July 28, 2007 They look childish, and with the Oz Army fighting alongside the Americans in Afghanistan (any in Iraq? Dunno) I'd say they also send the wrong message. Yes. Australians are in Iraq: http://www.smh.com.au/text/articles/2007/0...5339080067.html Australian forces kill civilianDate: July 26 2007 Craig Skehan HARD ON the heels of a warning by the Afghan President, Hamid Karzai, that the "extreme use of force" by the US and its allies was resulting in an unacceptably high number of civilian deaths, Australian soldiers have shot and killed a civilian Afghan truck driver. The Australian Defence Force said yesterday that soldiers in the town of Tarin Kowt in southern Afghanistan were involved in the shooting on Tuesday. The incident follows a call by the family of a US civilian contractor, Hector Patino, for an independent investigation into his fatal shooting in Iraq by Australian troops in January. The family said they did not accept the findings of a Defence Force investigation that the shooting was justified on the grounds that Mr Patino had failed to stop his vehicle at a checkpoint. In the latest incident, the Defence Force said that when an Australian patrol directed the Afghan truck driver to stop he instead "sped towards them". "The soldiers responded to the approaching vehicle in a graduated way with verbal and visual signals consistent with their rules of engagement," a spokesman said yesterday in a written statement. The Defence Force cited a significant threat of vehicle-carried bombs in Tarin Kowt, maintaining that the truck's failure to stop "presented a real threat to Australian personnel". It has begun an investigation of the death in "consultation" with Afghan authorities. After anti-Taliban air strikes by US and NATO-led forces that killed 65 villagers earlier this month, the coalition force said all possible efforts were taken to avoid civilian casualties. Mr Karzai complained that Afghan civilian lives were regarded as "cheap" and said the "indiscriminate and imprecise" use of force had to stop.
Bearded-Dragon Posted July 28, 2007 Posted July 28, 2007 They aren't that bad. The Dental Corps brought a smile to my lips but the rest are pretty standard cartoon fare, really. I suspect that Peter Leahy was advised that it was "hip and cool and would bring in lots of young recruits" and so signed off on them. I just wish I could have met some female soldier dental assistants like that when I last visited the dentist out bush. Might have made the foot operated drill more bearable.
Bob B Posted July 28, 2007 Posted July 28, 2007 (edited) Yeah, that's in bad taste, the US would never do such a thing. Edited July 28, 2007 by Bob B
Richard Lindquist Posted July 28, 2007 Posted July 28, 2007 Madison Avenue advertising postulate: SEX SELLS!!
Rubberneck Posted July 28, 2007 Posted July 28, 2007 Fuck man, they are NAVY recruiting posters! Of course they'd be showing chicks!
TonyE Posted July 28, 2007 Posted July 28, 2007 Heck, i liked them, but then...., i`m weird anyway...
Bob B Posted July 28, 2007 Posted July 28, 2007 (edited) Fuck man, they are NAVY recruiting posters! Of course they'd be showing chicks! Christy also did a poster for the Marines. Edited July 28, 2007 by Bob B
Bearded-Dragon Posted July 29, 2007 Posted July 29, 2007 There is a bit of difference between wartime and peacetime recruiting methods. The buttons that they seek to press within potential recruits are different. One of the main problems I believe we have downunder is that we still don't recognise that we are in a war, whereas in the US it seems that people are much more aware of it. Our government has been very careful to downplay the effects of the war on terror and to placate the population unfortunately. These are, it also has to be noted, meant for internal use, not external recruiting. So, their appeals have to be very different - from patriotism to making it appear "sexy".
SCFalken Posted July 29, 2007 Posted July 29, 2007 (edited) One of the main problems I believe we have downunder is that we still don't recognise that we are in a war, whereas in the US it seems that people are much more aware of it. You haven't seen the "Army Strong" commercials, then. Apparently, the US Army has a lot to do with walking down a deserted country road. With a dog. In your Class A's. Talking about how your parents felt. Not as bad as the Marine ads, though. Talk about abstract! The British Army is still the king, though: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lr4dxS0g-Y...ted&search= Falken Edited July 29, 2007 by SCFalken
SILL2 Posted July 29, 2007 Posted July 29, 2007 First, the link to a gallery of the contraversial posters, and a link to a news article about them. An interesting set of posters, but are they appropriate? Methinks that these posters will become collectors items very quickly. And the idea of a buxom RAEME tradeswoman holding a spanner in that way could be construed in ways that have nothing to do with vehicle maintenance. Appropriate? OK I suppose if the the OZ Army likes them and think they will be effective what the heck. Childish poor illustration. A 15 year old's mindless stab at copying Japanese animation for no particular reason? If you're going to pay for illustration at least buy decent looking stuff. Otherwise just use photos.
Bearded-Dragon Posted July 29, 2007 Posted July 29, 2007 (edited) You haven't seen the "Army Strong" commercials, then. Apparently, the US Army has a lot to do with walking down a deserted country road. With a dog. In your Class A's. Talking about how your parents felt. Not as bad as the Marine ads, though. Talk about abstract! You mean like this one? I'd have called it triumpherant, rather than abstract. The British Army is still the king, though: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lr4dxS0g-Y...ted&search=Falken I actually quite liked the British Army ones I saw there and elsewhere on youtube. Appeared to set the right tone and provided a broad context of the many reasons - rather than just patriotism as to why someone would enlist and stay enlisted. The what is your opinion of this one then? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X99oYW75jkM Would you suggest that patriotism is the only possible attracter in such campaigns? I suspect even this one doesn't use that but is rather like the other's we've looked at: I just wish I could understand the Russian! While I suspect this is perhaps the one every army recruiting wished they could use: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cH_E6YSQqTo Edited July 29, 2007 by Bearded-Dragon
DougRichards Posted July 29, 2007 Author Posted July 29, 2007 You mean like this one? I'd have called it triumpherant, rather than abstract.I actually quite liked the British Army ones I saw there and elsewhere on youtube. Appeared to set the right tone and provided a broad context of the many reasons - rather than just patriotism as to why someone would enlist and stay enlisted. The what is your opinion of this one then? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X99oYW75jkM Would you suggest that patriotism is the only possible attracter in such campaigns? I suspect even this one doesn't use that but is rather like the other's we've looked at: I just wish I could understand the Russian! While I suspect this is perhaps the one every army recruiting wished they could use: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cH_E6YSQqTo That last one, the Ukrainian advert, must have been inspiried by Hoff's version of 'Jump in My Car'.
vardulli Posted July 29, 2007 Posted July 29, 2007 the one currently running on UK TV is 'you hear a blast...' http://www.armyjobs.mod.uk/
DB Posted July 29, 2007 Posted July 29, 2007 the one currently running on UK TV is 'you hear a blast...' http://www.armyjobs.mod.uk/ On the TV, it stops at the point where the soldier is lining up on the football. David
SCFalken Posted July 29, 2007 Posted July 29, 2007 You mean like this one? I'd have called it triumpherant, rather than abstract. You didn't include a link to a USMC ad, but I'm guessing you meant to show the one with the kid mountain-climbing, while scenes from USMC legend are projected onto the butte? That one isn't as bad as the others, but it still follows the pattern of: Teenager does something hard-but-completely-unrelated-to-the-Marines (navigating a labyrynth, fighting a dragon, climbing a mountain, etc), while a James Earl Jones impersonator narrates the many qualities necessary for success in life. At the climax, the teenager then morphs into a Marine in dress blues, complete with sword. The ones from the '90s were the worst (the maze + dragon), and they have gotten better, but they are still kind of corny. The one with the mountain climbing especially makes you think it's going to be an ad for the Scientologists. The Australian commercial is pretty good (soundtrack bites, though). The British Army still takes home the Cup, though. The Royal Marines have a good advert, too. Falken
T19 Posted July 29, 2007 Posted July 29, 2007 Ok, sit down... this one is from Canada. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O56bmrEHxdI...ted&search= Notice how War like it is... Fight is a big part of the ad. BTW recruiting cannot keep up with the people wanting to join... pissing off the lefties really good. It will be interesting to see how this Roto goes as it is a French Roto. They are good soldiers, but the civies are LEFT BTW this was the standard just 18mths ago... notice the change?? BTW I enjoy the new CF, wish I was 20 years younger
Bearded-Dragon Posted July 30, 2007 Posted July 30, 2007 You didn't include a link to a USMC ad, but I'm guessing you meant to show the one with the kid mountain-climbing, while scenes from USMC legend are projected onto the butte? No, I meant this one: Apologies for forgetting the link. That one isn't as bad as the others, but it still follows the pattern of: Teenager does something hard-but-completely-unrelated-to-the-Marines (navigating a labyrynth, fighting a dragon, climbing a mountain, etc), while a James Earl Jones impersonator narrates the many qualities necessary for success in life. At the climax, the teenager then morphs into a Marine in dress blues, complete with sword. The ones from the '90s were the worst (the maze + dragon), and they have gotten better, but they are still kind of corny. The one with the mountain climbing especially makes you think it's going to be an ad for the Scientologists. The Australian commercial is pretty good (soundtrack bites, though). "bites"? I'm sorry, you'll have to translate that. The British Army still takes home the Cup, though. The Royal Marines have a good advert, too.Falken They are good. I like the Canadian ones T19 put up. Effective but I note the emphasis is like the ADF one, pretty much on peacetime, disaster recovery type ops.
shep854 Posted July 30, 2007 Posted July 30, 2007 (edited) I just wish I could understand the Russian! "We do more before 6:00AM than most people do all day!" Reference to a US Army ad featuring paratroops. I think it was part of the "Be All You Can Be" campaign. Edited July 30, 2007 by shep854
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