TV Commercial Review
Memorable
Effective
Style
Heart or Humor
Execution
Good
The U.S. Army has decided to pull two recruitment ads, “Overcoming Obstacles” and “Pushing Tomorrow,” from their airtime after the main actor, Jonathan Majors, was arrested on assault charges in a domestic dispute. These ads were part of the Army’s recently revived “Be All You Can Be” campaign. However, the Army has confirmed that the wider campaign will continue.
Jonathan Majors has recently appeared in films such as Creed III, Ant-Man & the Wasp: Quantumania, and the military biopic Devotion. The “Be All You Can Be” campaign was officially relaunched in March, aiming to boost recruitment after the service branch failed to meet its goals in 2022. Majors featured as an on-screen narrator in the two ads, discussing the history of the Army.
DeFranciso clarified that although the ads featuring Majors have been paused, the rest of the “Be All You Can Be” campaign will continue. This includes various marketing assets that do not feature Majors and tie-ins with the ongoing NCAA March Madness tournament.
Overall, the U.S. Army’s decision to halt the recruitment ads featuring Jonathan Majors demonstrates its commitment to maintaining a positive image and upholding its values. While the investigation into the allegations against Majors is ongoing, the Army has made a responsible choice to protect the integrity of its recruitment campaign.