This quick video presents an American and a Swedish military recruitment commercial back-to-back.
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Maybe Wendy can comment on the differences in recruitment techniques? There certainly seemed to be a lot more glory in the American version, and a lot more holy-crap-war-sucks in the Swedish version.
Via Spiked Humor
Thanks to Julie C. for this tip!
9 comments:
March 10, 2008 at 7:50 AM
Hmm, Sweden's commercial seems kind of like a PTSD nightmare.
March 10, 2008 at 6:07 PM
These are so interesting-- thanks for posting them, Lisa!
The most striking difference between these ads to me is what these commercials choose to show and what they don't show to recruit new members.
The Marines' commercial focuses on the duty, bravery, glory, honor aspects of service. And this is entirely focused inward-- toward the Marines and the country's goals (and in that order-- Marines' loyalties are to "unit, Corps, God and country" in that order). Where is the "other" in this commercial (that is such a part of the Sweden commercial)? Who is the "for honor" for? Who is the "for courage" for? It seems implicitly to be to the corps.
This is right in line with most Marine discourse. All of their recruitment info is the same-- the focus is on the corps, and on the highly specialized ways Marines serve. As a popular Marine slogan says "The USMC: When it absolutely, positively must be destroyed overnight."
And the Swedish commercial is even more fascinating. There is no focus on the actual members of the Nordic Battlegroup. Instead it is all about everyday people-- both in Sweden and in countries experiencing conflict. The focus is on the privilege of living in a country not at war ("everybody's everyday is not like ours").
The images of war in this commercial are disturbing-- hectic, scary and out of control. This is the exact opposite of the Marine commercial where everything is ordered and organized and machines (helicopters, guns) are shown as extension of this order and control-- instead of in a context of chaos. There's a HUGE disconnect between the weapons shown and what they actually DO during war.
War in all its chaos is present in the Swedish commercial, and absent from the Marines commercial. That in and of itself is interesting.
just my 2 cents!
March 10, 2008 at 10:26 PM
i'm not so sure how the sweedish commercial is supposed to encourage people to join the nordic battlegroup. unless its purpose is to prevent war or something? i'm not criticizing the corps or the battlegroup--i just don't get it!
March 11, 2008 at 5:28 AM
@anonymous
Yes, it is more like a peace corps commercial, isn't it? The point of that commercial is to join the battlegroup to help people less fortunate. The Swedish commercial is so different than anything we'd see here for the military, it is almost unrecognizable as a military recruitment advertisement (from the US perspective, anyway)!
March 11, 2008 at 7:40 AM
Ah the good ol' US perspective. I was expecting some women in bikinis in the Swedish commercial... I am so embarrassed. Sorry Sweden.
March 11, 2008 at 1:56 PM
As a swede, I can verify that the Nordic Battlegroup is more a peacecorp than anything else. In fact the swedish military defense is being slowly dismantled and the remainder converted to an international strike team. Sweden seems to be relying on the same defensive strategy as a tortoise: not being worth the trouble.:) Its not like we could really figth off a large invasion anyway. The only other option is to develop nukes as a deterrant, a fad which never really caught on in my country.
But we could if we wanted to!
/Whodunnit
April 4, 2008 at 7:04 AM
Marines' loyalties are to "unit, Corps, God and country" in that order)
Not so much the god stuff. Aside from almost-mandatory chapel in boot camp and unit chaplins ... God doesn't come up in the training material.
Or such is my perspective from serving 1985-1993. YMMV.
April 4, 2008 at 9:47 AM
Its interesting that in recent history, the marine corp as on organization has a lot more experience with chaos, danger,casualties and other realities of war than the Swedish military. And yet the focus of the commercials is exactly the opposite.
April 19, 2008 at 1:53 AM
I used this in class this week to point out how differently different countries look at war, military service, and the kinds of people that serve. Students were FLOORED! Jaws on the ground.
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