If you’re a millennial who’s addicted to taking selfies, video gaming or consider yourself a class clown, you could be exactly what the British Army is looking for.
For its 2019 recruitment campaign, “Your Army Needs You,” the army is seeking recruits from the “snowflake generation.”
The army drew inspiration from the World War I-era “Your Country Needs You” poster featuring Field Marshal Lord Kitchener, and recreated a series of videos and posters to attract people between the ages of 16 and 25.
The posters feature six soldiers labeled with stereotypes of younger people, before listing a positive value for each that would be welcomed by the army.
“Selfie addicts” have confidence, “snowflakes” have compassion, “phone zombies” have focus, “binge gamers” have drive, “class clowns” have spirit, and “me me me millennials” have self-belief, according to the posters.
The army says the campaign shows young people who are ambitious and feel undervalued have the potential to work for a job with “real purpose” and “do meaningful work.”
It also released several ads featuring young people being labeled a stereotype before portraying them in army roles working abroad in war zones and providing humanitarian relief.
Portrayed is a late-night video gamer who the army claims has “stamina,” and a slow supermarket worker who is bullied by her colleagues but who is described by the campaign as a “perfectionist” who’s “resilient.” Another video portrays a worker fooling around in the office, followed by the line: “there’s always room for people with a bit of spirit.”
The campaign was intended to show that “the army sees people differently” and that they “look beyond the stereotypes and spot the potential in young people,” Major General Paul Nanson said in a statement.
“We understand the drive they have to succeed and recognize their need for a bigger sense of purpose in a job where they can do something meaningful.”
British Defense Secretary Gavin Williamson said in a statement that the campaign was “a powerful call to action that appeals to those seeking to make a difference as part of an innovative and inclusive team.”
He said joining the army “provides comradeship, adventure and opportunity like no other job does.”
The campaign comes after it was revealed last year that the British Army failed to meet recruitment targets, with only 77,000 fully trained troops compared to its 82,500 target.
