Army Recruiters to Brainwash Moms

As recruitment nosedives, the Army and Marine Corps plan to use grassroots initiatives and multimillion-dollar advertising campaigns aimed at those most likely to oppose them: parents -especially moms.

Among the initiatives:

• Four new “influencer” TV ads this month, aimed at moms, dads, coaches and ministers.

• Pairing Army recruiters with combat veterans on visits to the homes of potential recruits.

• A nine-minute video in which parents of Marines say the Corps has been good for their children.

• A direct-mail campaign by the Marines to parents of high school juniors and seniors.

One study conducted for the Army by GfK Custom Research, found that the biggest influences in candidates’ decisions to join were mothers, named by 81 percent of respondents, followed by fathers, at 70 percent.

“Reach the parents with the Army’s new message, particularly moms,” the study urged.