Return of an old ‘friend’. Be All You Can Be

| December 6, 2022

New recruit cadets stand in line to be processed.

The Army is going to resurrect its most effective recruiting slogan. “Be All You Can Be”.  About the only campaign more effective for recruiting was WWII: the original campaign slogan is considered one of the most effective of the 20th century, far more enticing than “Be an Army of Uno” or “Join the woke vaxxed class!” or whatever they are using now to fall short of current recruiting goals by what, 95%?

Army’s “Be all you can be” ads ran for over two decades starting in the 1980s, according to the Army Historical Foundation. The public first saw the campaign during the 1981 New Year’s college football bowl games.

The magazine Advertising Age ranked the “Be all you can be” campaign as the 18th best in a list of the top-100 marketing campaigns in the 20th century, the foundation added.

The blast from the past follows the U.S. Military Academy at West Point revealing it will use World War II-era themed uniforms in its upcoming annual football game against rival Navy.

Army Times

Think I was immune to this particular slogan, it started running during the ’81 bowl games and (Ronnie having won instead of Jimmeh) I had already re-enlisted for what seemed the rest of my life. I do recall during “alerts” at 2AM in Germany hearing someone say “Be all I can be? Just this once, I want to be a little less”. Ah, the Tuesday mornings after three-day weekends – I am sure more than one of you remembers them.

And if anyone wonders what the Navy is using to countering Army’s uniform choice: a space/NASA theme.

Category: Army

38 Comments
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Anonymous

We do more before 9am…

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Last edited 1 year ago by Anonymous
AW1 Rod

How about “Army. Be As Woke As You Can Be!”

Anonymous

Gotta keep up, you know… /sarc
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Last edited 1 year ago by Anonymous
President Elect Toxic Deplorable Racist SAH Neande

“IN THE NAVY……… “

Hey, just sayin’…

Sapper3307

In the Rigging!

HT3

Great slogan. Look at the soldiers it attracted:

PFC John Winger
PFC Russell Ziskey
Pvt. Dewey Oxberger
Pvt. Howard Turkstra
Pvt. Francis Soyer
Pvt. Elmo Blum

President Elect Toxic Deplorable Racist SAH Neande

Sorry, but old slogans do not an effective Army make. Need to return to old standards as well.

Ret_25X

I can see the commercials now…draq queens dancing and prancing about…yep, be all you can be…

Hack Stone

Maybe the new slogan should be “I Gotta Be Me”.

FuzeVT

Be all the genders you can be!

AW1 Rod

“We do LESS before 0900 than most people don’t do ALL DAY!”

AW1Ed

Be a civilian.

Amateur Historian

An armed civilian.

Jay

Instead of a trendy recruiting slogan, how about focusing on the random deaths/disappearances at major army bases:

39 at Fort Hood
44 at Fort Bragg

No one wants to address the elephant in the room: serving in today’s military stateside is just NOT SAFE.

Anonymous

Hey, just report them UA then deserters, no big! /sarc

26Limabeans

Maybe the assisted suicide benefit like Canada has will
bring them in.

Hack Stone

Don’t forget the abortions. Everyone who enlists does it for the government funded abortions.

KoB

I can be all I can be, snug as a bug, wrapped up in my DD-214 Blanky.

Slow Joe

Damm. 44.95?
My woobie was 10 bucks!

MustangCPT

Cheapskate. When I retire, I’m getting one of those DD-214 blankets.
Blanket: $44.95
Not giving a DAMN: Priceless!

Tallywhagger

Per the Library of Congress:
About this ItemTitle

  • Join the Army; travel to exotic, distant lands; meet exciting, unusual people and kill them

Names

  • Rosner.

Created / Published

  • [1971]

Headings

  • – United States.–Army
  • – Armies–1970-1980
  • – War–1970-1980
  • – Protest movements.–1970-1980
Anonymous

Or Conan (quoting Ghengis Khan):

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Last edited 1 year ago by Anonymous
Roh-Dog

Well, there is a war on… but too bad the machine labels its uniformed services as ‘extreeeemasts‘ and ‘sexiiisssttsss‘ for wanting the best man next to them if they’ve ever gotta combat.

I advocate for anything other than military service for any youth that asks.

To the meme cannons, boys!

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5JC

I always liked; “We waste more time before 9am than some people do all day.”

Amateur Historian

Navy got me with “Accelerate your life.”

Messkit

They got me at “Mornin’ First Sergeant!”

Anonymous

Hooah! (Get back to work, fleanuts!)

Last edited 1 year ago by Anonymous
Roh-Dog

Dayum do I regret clicking on that vid… the below showed up. Nothings changed.

Miss/hate you, Benning.

Anonymous

Hey, shoulda seen Fort Bliss (not to mention Germany) in the late-’90s/early-2000s:

Last edited 1 year ago by Anonymous
AT1 ret

So glad to hear they spent $$$$ on new football uniforms instead of ANYTHING for the troops that matter.

Anonymous

Just like the everybody-gets-a-trophy Beret, baby!

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timactual

“…he Tuesday mornings after three-day weekends…”

You got weekends?

Sapper3307

Got the Hy Pro Glow!
UdBwavGTsBw

Roh-Dog

Thanks for making me miss Headbangers Ball.

It’s a dirty job butsomeonesgottadoit!

Sapper3307

Off subject but cool.
Ukrainian pilot gets shot down and takes a selfie after ejecting and still under parachute.

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Hate_me

Is that blood?

It’s a cool selfie (as selfies go), but I’ve gotta question his priorities.