Ad Blog: Marines "The Climb"

My chosen advertisement for the assignment is the Marine Corps' recruiting ad titled "The Climb". It is a very well-thought out advertisement playing on many different dynamics of potential recruits as well as their families. Another interesting facet of the commercial and its underlying meaning is the fact that the commercial is paid for with American tax dollars funneled into Defense spending; therefore, the makers of the commercial produced what they felt was the clearest, most poignant advertisement with as little risk as possible.

The whole advertisement is a long-running metaphor for the process to become a Marine. What's important to realize is that the intended group is Marine recruits: high school dropouts and graduates, blacks and whites, the weak and the strong. The only linking characteristic of the target audience is the fact that they can understand and want to be pushed by the challenge of joining the Marines. When the man starts out climbing (a very unrealistic climb, mind you, straight up a crumbling rock face with no safety mechanism at all) it shows the potential recruit the path will be a tough one. As the man reaches the top, it shows that he is tired and haggard from the climb, yet still able to move, making the process of becoming a Marine attainable. And when the man is saluted by the other dressed Marine, with the voice over saying that he will be joining the brotherhood of the few, it makes the trip seem worthwhile.

The entire advertisement is a very interesting use of personality profiles for potential recruits. In some ways, it is funny how the makers of the commercial chose their own path, playing off a man's masculinity and inherent macho-ism to get the to join the Marine Corps. I look forward to expounding upon some of the basic ideas I have laid out here in my project.