Spin of the Day: March 02, 2005

March 2, 2005

Marketers of Death

Source: Advertising Age, February 28, 2005
"The U.S. Army is adjusting its marketing pitch to minorities as the war in Iraq hurts recruiting efforts among Hispanics and, especially, African-Americans," reports Advertising Age. Leo Burnett is the Army's lead marketing agency, with Cartel Creativo doing Hispanic, and Muse Cordero Chen & Partners and Vital Marketing Group doing African-American, outreach. The Army will "maintain a minority presence in general-market advertising, craft minority-specific messages," and "focus Spanish-language messages at parents and 'influencers.'" Political science professor Peter Feaver expressed skepticism, saying, "If the problem is Iraq, there's not much in the short run that the Army recruiters can do."