
The United States Military has successfully recruited over two hundred thousand men and women to apply each year for the past fifteen years and this is achieved almost exclusively by their powerful advertising department (CNA). The reason why the military can achieve such high numbers of applications each year is because they try to recruit everyone, not just one specific group. They fine tune their advertising for specific audiences to make each ad as effective as possible. They shift their ads differently for each group that the specific audience might associate with, whether that be ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, or social class. The ad depicted for rhetorical analysis shows an African American woman with bold white text in the foreground displaying the Army’s slogan “There’s Strong. Then There’s Army Strong” (GoArmy.com). This advertisement is effective because of gender and racial stereotypes it targets and from the inferior feelings the slogan provokes. 

The first aspect of the ad that makes it effective is the narrowing of the audience to the female gender. The photographer uses many visual elements to portray the woman in the photo as powerful. The photo is shot so that the audience is physically looking up at the women making her appear larger than she would if the photo was taken head on. This angle is intentionally causing the audience feel inferior and shows the observer that she is someone to be respected. The body language in the photo is also something that should be inspected. The woman is saluting in the picture which, from a civilian standpoint, is a powerful and respectful gesture. The photographer uses everything in this picture to highlight the theme of strength. This theme of strength works extremely well on the female population by exploiting gender stereotypes. The stigma that particularly stands out in this ad is the one associated with women being weaker than men. This ad shows women that if they join the Army they can be a person affiliated with strength and power. If the audience values strength and respect this advertisement will be effective in persuading the audience to consider applying for the Army. 

The second part of this ad that stands out is the ethnicity of the woman. The African American woman will make this ad even more powerful for people of color. Similar to how women will look at this advertisement and see a powerful female figure, the African American community, as well as other racial groups, will see a strong, respected minority. Many racial groups believe that they don’t receive the proper amount of respect in society because of the color of their skin and this advertisement plays into that stereotype. It shows them that if they join the Army they can be a part of an elite society that is showered by respect from the public. While this ad specifically targets women of color it can also be very powerful for any person of color. Also, the African American woman in the photo is pictured wearing a black beret, worn by every Army Ranger. This shows the audience that even the lower ranks of the Army are shown a great deal of respect and appear powerful. This small detail of the advertisement shows the viewer that it doesn’t take a long time to gain respect and power from the Army. 

The text that is associated with the picture is the most persuasive aspect of the advertisement. The main slogan “There’s Strong. Then There’s Army Strong.” (GoArmy.com) is highlighting the theme of strength and respect. This text saying that there are strong civilian people but they cannot be as strong or respected as people of service. The text leads the audience to believe that there is an elite group that is better than general society, and they can be part of it. The smaller text that is placed below the large slogan that reads “Are you Army Strong?” (GoArmy.com) is by far the most powerful part of the ad. Every aspect of the ad exudes power and respect and this text at the bottom of the advertisement makes the reader question their own strength. This text threatens the audience’s character by saying if they choose not to join the army they are accepting a life that is inferior to someone of service. This slogan also provokes the feeling of guilt and weakness, making the audience feel vulnerable. This vulnerability is exactly what the advertising department of the United States Military is looking for because that feeling is what causes people to apply. 

The United States Military receives thousands of applications each year from every ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, and social class, that is made possible by their incredible advertisements that are seen all over the country. This specific ad effectively persuades their target audience of minority women but can also be effective for other groups as well. The ad’s general theme is strength and respect and it allows the viewer to believe that if they apply for the military then they will gain the strength they desire and the respect they deserve. The advertisement’s text is also effective by questioning the audiences character to make them feel vulnerable. The ad shows the viewer that if they join the military they will never have to suffer through that awful feeling of vulnerability again. 
