Paper #1

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Christian Vellequette

Lydia Hearn

EWRT1A

January 24th, 2013

Subliminal Patriotism

When it comes to believing they're the best in the world, few nations scream it louder than the

United States. Americans pride themselves in their patriotism and never shy away from claiming that

they are the number one nation. It seems that one cannot claim themselves as a true American unless

they show qualities of nationalism and patriotism. And of course, the people in charge of getting the

men and women of the country to join the military know this about American citizens and have devised

ways to attract them to joining their elite and exclusive armed forces accordingly. By offering an escape

from their daily grind and the ability to reveal your true inner strength, the advertisers have found ways

to capture the attention of a young, bored, American patriot.

The marines ad panders right into the American citizens need to be affiliated with the best. The

ad captures your attention with a large image of a flawless, masculine, face of a stoic marine staring

right past the viewer. It almost seems as if the marine is not interested at all in our presence, like we

aren't even worth his time as long as we are still civilians. He does not appear to be weak, despite our

ability to only see half of his face. The stoic expression makes us feel that he is not only strong

physically, but mentally as well. If he were smiling, it would make the ad less serious in a way.

Portraits or photos of past leaders throughout history depict a similar technique; few if any famous

figures are ever depicted as smiling. All of them seem to have the same look of pride and commanding

authority. By having this same look on his face, the Marine has made his inspiring presence known

without uttering a single word or the slightest flick of an eyelash. This image of a man that appears to

be so sure and confident of himself and his abilities speaks wonders of our own self doubts and

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insecurities. Some of us so badly want to be the tough, fearless leader that he clearly is, or at least,

appears to be.

You may have seen ads that are directed to an older population that often feature men and

women who are wrinkled and gray. Generally, the product being sold is directed more to people of that

age group. In the case of the marines ad, it does not show someone who is over the hill by any means.

The marine is young, maybe in his mid 20's. He's young enough to look like a person that may have

just graduated college, or old enough to be a mentor to a recruit that just got out of high school. In this

way, his looks appeal to people in the 18-24 age group because he shows that you can have a bit of age

experience or your just leaving your parents care for the first time.

In short, there is nothing about this marine that shows any sign of weakness. The ad wants the

viewers to generalize about the marines and assume that all marines are like this. It gives the viewer a

sense of pride that the people in this military branch in charge of defending freedom are tough,

independent, and aggressive. It is the perfect depiction of how American's view the military even

though it would be ridiculous if all marines looked as hard and tough as this one. “Clearly, this man is

the best, otherwise he wouldn't be a marine”, is exactly what the ad wants the viewer to assume. For all

we know, this marine might not have any arms or legs, or even be able to do a single pull up. But the

statement in the ad gives us a sort of guarantee by saying marines are the most elite warriors on earth. It

means that the marines would never recruit anyone short of perfection. There is even a website and

phone number at the lower part of the ad for the viewer to visit or call and possibly speak to someone

who can erase any doubts that the marines are not the best of the best.

The statements on the marine poster do not leave any room for the reader to feel failure. The

sentences repeatedly say “You will”, not “You might”. It reinforces the readers need for direction and

guidance which is everything this ad promises, both subtly and blatantly. The statements do not guaran-

tee everything will be easy to achieve though. It challenges the reader by making them question if they

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have the guts to be affiliated with the military and if they’re strong enough to carry the uniform. The ad

claims that it will cull the meek and leave only the best standing. The reward of being the best among

few caters to younger people that may find they do best on a team or in a group. Or perhaps they have

yet to experience the feeling and are more drawn to enlisting in order to be accepted by a group. It is in

this way that the ad appeals to both people that have already experienced camaraderie and those that

are in need of it.

In the same way, the national guard ad also plays into the need for American's to believe they

are the best by again mentioning that you are joining the elite. Both of these ads are from different

branches of the military that use different types of uniforms, tactics, and strategies, yet they both claim

to be the elite. How can that be? The Marines are a conventional active duty force while the national

guard green berets are only part time and are an unconventional army. How could two almost

completely varied branches both claim that they are the best? Obviously, the advertisers that created the

ads are using essentially the same strategy: they both are catering to American's want of joining the tip

of the top.

Like the marines ad, the national guard ad does not leave any doubts. There is no mention of

failure in the statements at all, just the idea that it will be tough and challenging. It does not say

anything about the possibility of not earning the Green Beret, even though if it was as simple as it

sounds, everyone that tried would earn it. This ad seems to be more of an invitation when compared to

the marines ad. Instead of stating “You will learn...”, the national guard ads says “We will train you...”.

It seems to use more encouraging language also. It says that you will find strength you never knew you

had, as if your abilities were locked away and joining the special forces would give you the key to it. It

gives you enough of a challenge to consider attempting it and gives you a little faith in yourself that

you can actually complete it.

While the Marine ad appeals more to people seeking security and personal strength, the national

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guard ad promises us a life of adventure. The soldiers are all participating in events that no civilian job

could offer you. Two of three of the images show people parachuting out of planes, enticing us with the

excitement that the job can give us. The third image is the only one that shows any weapons to

illustrate to us that there is danger involved, the likes of which nothing but the military produces.

Clearly, there is no waiting around or routine in this job, just action and adventure. Its an opportunity

for escape from daily commutes on the bus or being stuck in traffic on the way to work.

Both the national guard ad and the marine ad give a strong sense of American pride. The

marines ad mentions key words that would capture a chauvinist's attention right away: wisdom, honor,

warrior, and proud. These are all words that naturally appeal to patriots throughout the American

nation. They are words that are often carried along with the American military throughout history.

Although some Americans may disagree with the idea that there is wisdom in the military, to a young

man that just completed high school it might erase a few doubts that he might be enlisting with

incompetent people. Honor is another word often associated with warriors. It seems nationalists view it

as something tangible that you receive once you don your uniform, even though being honorable can be

achieved without any military affiliation whatsoever. Finally, a word that goes hand-in-hand with

honor: proud. The actual slogan for the marines is “The Few. The Proud”. This ad is no different than

any other. It plays right into the mind of someone who isn't proud of what they've accomplished so far

in life. It instantly fills you with hope that one day when you make it in the marines you too can feel

pride in what you do knowing that you are now associated with the best.

However, the national guard poster panders to the American nationalist a little less subtly. The

American flag is shown waving next to the words “National Guard”, which itself is colored red and

white with a blue background. Below the title of the service are the words “Join the Special Forces”.

Unlike the marines ad which challenges the viewer to question if they have what it takes, this ad seems

to encourage the reader to go out and give the national guard a try. The national guard ad also features a

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reference to the viewer gaining wisdom. It does not say you will become wiser, but it states that your

mind is key and that you will become able to react to any situation that occurs. It almost seems that

joining the special forces will make you some sort of super hero, which sounds appealing to both me

and an impressionable teenager. The special forces motto is located at the bottom of the ad centered

between two other images in order to draw the viewers attention to it. The motto “De Oppresso Liber”,

is Latin and translates roughly to “Liberate the Oppressed”. Though it might not instill a sense of pride

into the viewer right away because they might not understand the language, the viewer is more than

likely to be curious about what it means and look it up. A handy web address is located on the ad below

the American flag where it won't go unnoticed.

In conclusion, both the marines ad and the national guard ad use different paths to reach the

same targeted audience. Both are trying to recruit citizens that need some guidance in life and

affiliation with the best the military has to offer. The marines ad accomplishes this by having the reader

evaluate themselves and question their own integrity, grit, and determination. Do they have what it

takes to join the best the military has? Or will they not become proud and honorable? The national

guard ad entices its targeted audience of young adults by promising them a life of action and adventure

by showing soldiers parachuting out of planes and wading through beaches in cool gear. The marine ad

shows the face of a young leader disciplined through his enlistment while the national guard ad hides

the faces of its soldiers to allow the viewer to make their own assumptions of what they look like. The

marines ad and the national guard ad each claim to produce the most elite soldiers, but its up to the

viewer to choose their own way. Either way, the advertisers have created ads that pander to a freedom-

loving American patriot that's seeking affiliation, guidance, and escape.