The U.S. Army recently launched a new brand advertising campaign to reach African American youths who do not believe individuality lies within the U.S. Army. The campaign - "I Am Army of One" - focuses on how youth can maintain their sense of identity and a personal sense of self-fulfillment while serving in today's Army. The solider in the campaign's premier commercial that was launched in mid-January, 2001, says, "Even though there are 1,045,690 soldiers just like me, I am my own force. With technology, with training, with support, who I am has become better than who I was. And I'll be the first to tell you, the might of the U.S. Army doesn't lie in numbers. It lies in me." In essence what the U.S. Army wants today's African American youth to take away from the campaign is that inside the Army lies all the necessary training and technology to make each potential recruit better, all that is missing is the determination that each individual possesses.

The new campaign replaces the 20-year-old message of "Be All You Can Be" that, although embedded in the culture of the nation, lost its resonance with the Army's target audience of over 20 million youth between the ages of 18-24. "We are aware of how popular 'Be All You Can Be,' is with the Army," says Bob McNeil, president of Atlanta-based IMAGES USA, the Army's African American marketing agency. McNeil says that "Army of One," speaks directly to African American youth who need culturally relevant information to have it stay with them. " This campaign features 'real life soldiers who have been where some of our youth are right now, our target market esperience.

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Continuing the launch of the "Army of One" advertising campaign, the Army unveiled its second phase of advertising. The latest advertising will continue communicating the dual message of the "Army of One" campaign - a message of teamwork and unity, as well as the strength and importance of every person. The new phase, referred to as "Basic Training," uses the intriguing, reality-based television format that is captivating viewers across the nation. Unlike most dramatized reality-based programs, the "Basic Training" advertisements are candid, unscripted and genuine.

"This is something I want to do just to see if I can do it. See if I can make something of myself," says Richard Jones, a 19-year old African-American recruit from the West Side of Chicago featured in the series. Jones say that he knows that basic training will be tough, and that he'll be homesick, but he knows it will make him a better person and set an example for his brothers. "By starting something new, I'm showing my brothers that they can do it too. They're like my number one priority, my brothers and my mother," Jones said.

"Basic Training" ads begin with brief television profiles highlighting Jones and five other actual Army recruits as they progress through basic training, giving viewers a glimpse of their personal experiences and opinions as the recruits transform from civilians into soldiers. The television ads encourage prospective recruits to visit the Army web site at www.GoArmy.com to experience a complete, in-depth multimedia "webisode" presentation including commentary from the recruits as they develop into soldiers.

"We want people to have an accurate look into what it means to be a soldier in today's Army," say Col. Kevin Kelley, director of advertising and public affairs for U.S. Army Recruiting Command. "There's no better way to show the teamwork, camaraderie and personal commitment that the Army develops than to show real soldiers going through this process."

The Army and its lead advertising agency, Leo Burnett, along with its African-American agency, IMAGES USA, and its Hispanic agency, Cartel Creativo; designed the latest ads after thorough research and interviews indicated young adults often have some misconceptions about basic training experiences.

"We're aware of the potentially inaccurate perceptions some young African-Americans may have of what Army life is like, and we need to improve that," says Joy Barnes, vice president, account director, IMAGES USA. "Our audience is one who wants to be led by example. This new advertising shows them not only the importance of teamwork in the Army, but also the importance of an individual who looks like them as an essential element in making that team work. It is possible to be a part of a team without losing sight of your individual goals. This series reinforces that."

While the television commercials are an integral part of the "Basic Training" advertising, their main purpose is to encourage prospective soldiers to visit the Army web site for more detailed information. Each week at the site, new web videos will be unveiled coinciding with the nine weeks of basic training. While surfing through the "Basic Training" section of www.GoArmy.com, visitors can watch videos of the recruits' first-hand experiences and read their profiles to learn about the person behind the soldier-to-be. Also at the site, visitors can search through more than 200 Army occupations, chat with recruiters and other prospective soldiers, and meet the soldiers introduced in the initial television and print advertisements.

"The web-based portion of the campaign not only will relate the relevant personal experiences of recruits in basic training, but it also will provide a forum to ask questions and interact with other people," says Chris Miller, co-CEO at chemistri, Leo Burnett's interactive and online subsidiary. "Visitors to the site will see how these recruits have grown and developed in a short period of time."

In addition to the recruit web videos, the site also will include narrative spots from the recruits' drill sergeants explaining the challenges the recruits faced that week as well as in the weeks to come. By clicking through an interactive map, visitors can take a virtual tour of Fort Jackson, S.C. - the place where many recruits go through basic training. A digital jukebox of military cadence calls will be added when the recruits learn to march.

The soldiers profiled on television and on the web include: Michelle Boatner of Glenpool, Okla., who enlisted to be a signal support systems specialist; Richard Jones of Chicago, Ill., who enlisted as an aviation operations specialist; Jermaine Santiago of northern New Jersey, who will serve as a U.S. Army Reserve intelligence specialist; Benjamin Smith of Wilsonville, Ore., who enlisted as a signal analyst/intelligence specialist; Ever Ochoa-Bonilla of Clovis, N.M., who signed up as a heavy vehicle mechanic; and Alice Borja of San Mateo, Calif., who enlisted as a medical specialist.

The new campaign made its national network debut on Saturday, Feb. 3, during the Xtreme Football League (XFL) premier on NBC. High school students in classrooms across the country will have the opportunity to preview each "webisode" every Friday throughout the campaign on the in-school television network Channel One.

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