Graduate to the Army
Artist
Designer Unknown
Date1980
Dimensions23 x 18 in. (58.4 x 45.7 cm)
ClassificationsPoster
Credit LinePoster House Permanent Collection
Object numberPH.7616
DescriptionIn 1980, the United States Army introduced its new recruitment campaign, “Be All You Can Be,” involving television ads, print ads, and posters. The slogan, chosen from four possible options, was created by Earl Carter, a senior copywriter at the N.Y. Ayer Advertising Agency, and the very well-funded campaign was so successful that it ran until 2003. Unlike many of the Army’s previous slogans, among them “This is the Army,” it was popular not only with potential recruits but also with serving soldiers and military veterans. By 1980, the army’s recruitment policy needed an overhaul, especially after the divisions created in the country by the Vietnam War. By the time the new campaign began, the army was viewed as a choice of last resort for high-school dropouts and others with limited options. The “Be All You Can Be” campaign played an important role in General Maxwell R. Thurman’s plan to recruit higher-quality candidates who could handle the more demanding training required, especially for Military Occupational Specialties, and who might be persuaded to see the army as offering opportunities for personal and professional development. On View
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