The British Army is under fire for a new series of recruitment ads that have been labelled too touchy-feely and PC and bearing little resemblance to tough and often violent army life.
The cartoon campaign, that cost £1.6 million ($A2.7 million), attempts to answer potential recruits’ questions such as “Can I be gay in the army?” and “What if I get emotional in the army?”. The ads will appear on radio, TV and online and seek to address concerns potential soldiers might have about religion or sexuality.
Critics of the ads have argued they’re targeting people who would never join the military anyway. While the Army has argued the spots reflect modern-day society, as it tries to recruit from a larger pool.
The new adverts, which are all voiced by serving soldiers, are part of the Army’s “belonging campaign”. Check the spots out below:
One critic of the ads was a retired Colonel Kemp who was a decorated veteran from Afghanistan in the 2000s. Kemp told the BBC: “The army, like the rest of government, is being forced down a route of political correctness. What is most important is that the army is full of soldiers. It is of secondary importance that they reflect the composition of society.
“I think what the Army needs to do in order to deal with its recruiting problem is not to specifically appeal to minorities – of course, the more people from all parts of society who join the better.
“But it’s even more important than that to fill the Army up with people who want to fight and want to be soldiers. And this, I don’t think, will do that.”
