• by Joe Mandese  @mp_joemandese, November 9, 2006

The day following Donald Rumsfeld's surprising resignation as Secretary of Defense, the U.S. Army is hoping to keep its image strong and has enlisted McCann Erickson to help with the effort. In a new advertising campaign breaking on network TV today, McCann will reposition the armed services brand with the theme "Army Strong."

The timing of the campaign may be coincidental with Rumsfeld's departure, but Lt. Gen. Robert L. Van Antwerp, commander of U.S. Army Accessions Command, says the effort clearly is intended to bolster the military's forces at a critical point in another campaign: the War in Iraq.

"Army Strong advertising was inspired by the experiences and defining character of the U.S. Army Soldier," Van Antwerp stated, "These ads have been created with the singular aim of helping us succeed in our mission to recruit the next generation of soldiers and build a highly capable force sufficient to meet the needs of the nation."

Van Antwerp did not specifically address the Iraqi campaign, but the ad effort will play the dual role of keeping the Army's morale high, while helping with new recruiting needs.

The three TV spots in the campaign, feature 30- and 60-second versions, and focus on the special character of the modern U.S. Army solider. The spots, including one Spanish-language version, emphasize how the Army makes young men and women stronger -- mentally, emotionally and physically.

A secondary component of the campaign will utilize the Web to bolster recruiting, including text messaging, an increased presence on popular search engines like Google and Yahoo and video feeds via YouTube.com.

The Army Strong campaign will also tap into popular online gaming sits and social networks via "America's Army: The Official U.S. Army Game," which will be distributed to the Global Gaming League.

"While the U.S. Army met its recruiting goal of 80,000 in 2006, we must continue to make the Army message distinctive and powerful -- and then deliver that message in ways that reach eligible recruits and those who care about them," Van Antwerp acknowledged.

The Army's heaviest artillery will be on network TV, especially cable networks including youth-oriented channels like MTV, Fuse, Spike, G4, Sci-Fi and Spike, but not Comedy Central.