Effective Advertisements Entice Young Adults
A little over a year ago, the U.S Army released an advertisement with the goal of getting new recruits. The advertisement uses bright colors, action shots, flashy transitions, and powering statements to try and peak the interest of the viewer, specifically young adults, and make them consider joining the Army. The statements it offers to viewers like “Learn new languages” or “Pilot the technology of tomorrow”, accompanied by what is mentioned previously, try to show benefits for enlisting. This advertisement uses visual and psychological tactics to convince young adults to enlist in the Army by showing the heroes they can become.
The advertisement’s demographic is aimed at young adults across our country. The advertisement goes deeper with a specific psychographic, that being students fresh out of high school. The advertisement uses the statements it uses in order to appeal to a certain interest their target demographic has. Some want to support our country, some want to be a hero, some use it as financial benefits towards future education, and some are lost with no future in sight. By enlisting in the Army, you can achieve your goals, learn something new, or fill the void in you and give you purpose. At least that is what the advertisement is saying.
The public perception about this ad can be and is positive. It shows how much you can grow as a person by enlisting and can help improve your future as well. It also shows the American public that our Army has competent soldiers who are skillful and intelligent. Connecting this advertisement to Plato’s Allegory of the Cave, this advertisement is represented by the shadows casted by the puppeteers. This is due to the fact that the advertisement shows all the positive effects for enlisting and joining which people can be fooled by; however, people enlisting in the military can’t do it without thinking about it first. This is especially due to the main sacrifice for joining any branch of the military, and that is the possibility that you will die.
