Recruiting Advertisements

Colonial Era to World War II

As early as the colonial and revolutionary eras, recruiters for the armed forces worked in person and also advertised through posters and printed publications. Newspaper advertising was well-established by the Civil War. As communication technologies advanced, the military services utilized new media such as radio and motion pictures to spread their recruiting messages. Recruiting themes focused mainly on patriotic appeals with additional references to benefits, paid bounties, and the responsibilities of manhood. One famous World War I–era recruiting poster featured a young woman dressed in a sailor's uniform, saying, “Gee! I wish I were a man. I’d join the Navy.” The Marine Corps advertised itself as The First to Fight. Advertising during World War II emphasized patriotism and referenced the heroism and sacrifice of America's fighting forces.

Postwar Era

After World War II, recruitment efforts concentrated on retaining trained and skilled war veterans. In 1947, Army–Air Force advertising targeted middle-class parents and their young adult children to persuade them that military jobs and careers were appropriate and carried prestige. Attuned to the reach and influence of radio, military officials convinced the top four radio networks to provide free air-time in addition to public service airtime to broadcast recruiting programs. Officials also persuaded widely circulated national magazines, such as Life and The Saturday Evening Post, to donate free full-page advertising space for military recruiting. Local recruiting efforts included band performances, displays in high schools, and exhibitions at state and county fairs. Recruiting themes focused on education, specialized training, and continued service to country.

A well-known U.S. Navy recruitment poster used during World War I. (Time Life Pictures/Getty Images)

Draft Era

Although Congress reauthorized the draft in 1948, recruiting advertising continued to target volunteers. Integrated recruiting campaigns began to reach audiences in larger numbers. The Federal Communications Commission required television and radio networks to donate public service time, which the military services used to broadcast recruiting advertisements. These commercials, however, often aired late at night when young adults did not watch or listen. Better exposure came during sporting events, Armed [Page 717]Forces Week, or from sponsoring celebrity shows. Posters, brochures, and other print media constituted the majority of the recruiting advertising budgets. The Navy and Marine Corps relied exclusively on public service advertising, but the Army and Air Force paid for some print advertising in magazines. All the services, including the National Guard and Reserves, continued to employ local advertising.

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