Strategy 101: The truth shall set you free
Advertising for the Armed Forces has been around for a while, in one form or another. We’ve likely all seen Uncle Sam declaring “I want you”, or the Marine Corps announcing that they are “the Few, the Proud”. In recent years, though, they’ve upped the anti. “Army Strong”, for example, now describes a higher level of physical and mental fortitude, attainable only through military training, discipline and experience.
I was lucky enough to see “Citizen Soldier” last weekend, during the previews at a local movie theater. There’s a lot to be said about this spot. Besides being well executed and richly entertaining, it illustrates (at least) 3 fundamental marketing guidelines (see below)…
National Guard: Citizen Soldier spot
Get the Flash Player to see this content.
- Let the truth be your guide.
I’m going to comment on this without diving into a sea of relativity. Yes, Pontius Pilate may have chiseled the words “What is truth?” into the tablet of history, but I’ll set that aside and assert the position that, in every organization, there is a truth that defines what you do, who you are or what you sell. Advertising is notorious for stretching (or simply burying) the truth, or making more out of a product than what is really there. A mentor once told me “Good marketing will only make a bad product die faster”. If your product can’t back up your claims, regardless of how compelling they are, then you’re fighting a losing battle. Citizen Soldier illuminates some cardinal truths about being a soldier and uses them as the framework for a visual presentation that at once inspires bravery and dismisses criticism. If you haven’t already, find out what the key benefits of your product or service are… then honestly and dynamically showcase them in your advertising. - Speak directly to the needs of your audience.
This one is directly related to the previous item. The best products and services meet a unique need, or quell a common fear for a specific group of people. Obviously, in this case, the Armed Forces were not created to meet the needs of soldiers, but, Citizen Soldier shows that they have spent time seeking to understand their audience. The need to have your life count for something. The desire to protect your loved ones. The need to find an outlet for bravery. The need for a connection to a cause that has transcendent meaning. The desire for comradery. Citizen Soldier addresses these concerns in concrete terms. - Understand the culture.
Often clients make demands on the creative direction for a piece that have a lot more to do with their own personal aesthetic than a concern for that of their audience. Understanding the culture of your audience will allow you to energize and reinforce your message by causing it to exist in an environment that listeners can relate to (or feel at home in). The choice of employing the music of Three Doors Down, a band that is known for creating hard-edged songs with meaningful lyrics, is strategically on target. Citizen Soldier captures the flavor not only of the battlefield, but also of the figurative shadowland that lies between adolescence and adulthood, at the hopeful falling off point where we ponder “what am I going to do with my life?”.