KristenNinosky

CAS137H
BenHenderson
10/13/15
ACenturyOldForceForGood
Throughouthistory,theUnitedStatesNavyhasuseddifferentmediumssuchasposters
andvideos,asawaytorecruitsailors.In2009arecruitmentvideowasstreamedontelevision
andonlinewheretheUnitedStatesNavycalledAmericancitizenstojoinaGlobalForceFor
Good.Almostonehundredyearsbeforethisadwasrun,duringWorldWarI,theU.S.Navy
printedarecruitingadthathadasimilarmessage.UnliketheWWIrecruitmentposter,the
newerNavyadusedsailorsofdifferentracesandgenderintheir2009videowhichutilizedthe
aspectofdiversitytorecruitmoresailors.Usingcommonplaces,ideologiesandkairos,bothof
theserecruitmentannouncementsencouragewillingandableAmericancitizenstoservetheir
country,eventhoughtheydisplaydiversitydifferently.
Bothrecruitmentadstakeadvantageofkairostobeeffective.In1916,theUnitedStates
wasfightinginWorldWarIandtherecruitmentposterspublishedduringthistimemadesense
tothecitizensofthecountry.Theycalledyoungmentofightinthewartoservetheircountry,so
theyeasilyidentifiedwiththesailordepictedontheposter.Similarlyinthe2009ad,theU.S.
Navyshowedavarietyofdiversemenandwomenservingtheircountry.Byusingsailorsof
differentgender,raceandethnicity,theUnitedStatesNavycouldreachouttoallAmerican
citizensinhopesthattheywouldjointhenavy.

In1916,theUnitedStateswasinthemiddleoffightinginthebloodiestandmost

destructivewartheworldhadeverseen.WorldWarIisstillknownashavingmorecasualties
thananyotherwarinhistory.Duetothestaggeringandeverincreasingnumberofcasualties,

theUnitedStateswasinhighdemandforyoungmentofightinthewar.Therewasnodraftin
thecountryyet,soU.S.Militaryofficialsputouthundredsofthousandsofrecruitmentadsin
newspapers,localbusinesses,andpublicplacesaroundthecountry.
LeadinguptoWorldWarI,theUnitedStatesNavywasgrowinginsizeandpowerthey
wereassertingdominancethroughouttheworld.PresidentTheodoreRooseveltestablishedthe
GreatWhiteFleet,whichwasalargefleetofbattleships.TheGreatWhiteFleetsailedthe
globetoupholdPresidentRooseveltsforeignpolicyandestablishtheUnitedStatesasamajor
powerintheworld.WorldWarIwasthefirstrealtestoftheUnitedStatesNavyuntilthispoint,
theyhadnotbeeninanybattlesorwarsofthissize.TheUnitedStateswasindesperateneed
ofmentofightinthewar,sotheyhadmanyformsofrecruitinggoingontoensurethatthey
wouldattainthenecessarynumberofsailors.

Onerecruitmentadinparticulartookfulladvantageofthiskairotictimeand

demonstratedastronguseofrhetoricalstrategiestotrytogetasmanyyoungmentofightas
possible.Thisposterwaspublishedin1916,andpicturedayoungwhitemanstandingwithhis
armsfoldedinaUnitedStatesNavysailoruniform.Nexttothesailor,thephraseHeiskeeping
theworldsafefordemocracy.Enlistandhelphimiswritten.Thesailorisayoungmanwho
hasadeterminedlook,suggestingthatheknowsthatheisgoingtobeembarkingonaserious
mission.

Hissolemnappearancealsoimpliesthatthesailorisverybraveforacceptingthecall
toriskhislifeandprotecttheUnitedStates.Itwasanacceptedcommonplacetotreatmenwho
wereservinginthemilitarywithrespectbecauseoftheirbravery.Also,theposterisprinted
usingthepatrioticcolorsofred,whiteandblue,signifyingthecalltoserveforthecountry.

Almostonehundredyearsaftertheoriginalpublishingofthisspecificad,theUnited

StatesNavyreleasedarecruitmentvideothatwasbroadcastedontelevision.

Althoughthere
wasnotathirdWorldWarhappeningin2009,internationaltensionswereundoubtedlyrising.

PresidentBarackObamatookofficeduringthisyearandimmediatelystartedworkingonan
economicplantostimulatetheUnitedStateseconomy.Internationalaffairswereputonthe
backburner,butasevereneedofmilitarypersonnelwasstillprevalentintheStates.To
emphasizetheirneedforsailors,theUnitedStatesNavyreleasedavideothatchallenged
viewerstorespondtothecallofpatriotismandcourageousnessandservetheircountry.
Inthisadvertisement,sailorsareseenhelpingvictimsofnaturaldisasters,protectingothersand
overalldefiningthemselvesasaninstitution.Thisadwaspublishednearlyafullcenturyafter
PresidentTheodoreRooseveltsestablishmentoftheGreatWhiteFleet,signifyingthatthe
UnitedStatesNavywasstillthebestnavyintheworld,andwasnoforcetobereckonedwith.
ThetaglineofthevideoclaimedthattheU.S.NavywasaGlobalForceForGood,whichis
verysimilartothestatementonthe1916recruitmentad.Bothoftheseadsuseethosto
establishtheNavyasapowerfulinstitutionandforcearoundtheworld.
Themaindifferenceregardingtheuseofrhetoricalstrategiesbetweenthetwo
advertisementsistheportrayalofdiversityamongthesailorsfeaturedintheadsthemselves.In
theWWIEraposter,thefeaturedsailorisawhitemale,whilethe2009videopresentsmenand
womenofdifferentethnicities.Atthetimeoftheposterspublication,theUnitedStatesMilitary
wassegregatedandthereweretremendousracerelatedissuesandtensionsthroughoutthe
country.Sincethesolesailorontheposteriswhite,itsuggeststhatAfricanAmericanswerenot
asimportanttothemilitaryaswhites.WomenoftheWWIErawerediscriminatedagainst,and
couldnotparticipateonthebattlefront.Atthistime,therewasanideologythatwomenand
minoritieswereinferiortowhitemales,sotheireffortswerenotneedednearlyasmuch.
Oppositelyinthemorerecentrecruitmentad,thedisplayofdifferentcitizensshowsthat
themilitaryisacceptingofallrecruits,regardlessofraceorgender.Today,sailorscanbeany
citizenswhoarewillingtorisktheirlifetoservefortheUnitedStates.ComparedtoWWI,

womennowhavetheabilitytonotonlyfightinthemilitarybuttheycanalsoholdpositionsof
authorityandpowerwithintheservice.Highlightingsailorsofdifferentbackgroundsappealsto
theideologythatgenderandracedonothaveanimpactononescharacter,specificallythe
braveryandcourageousnessobtainedbysailorsintheU.S.Navy.

Similartothe2009UnitedStatesNavyrecruitmentad,the1916posterusescredible

elementstoappealtothelogicandemotionoftheaudiencewhoviewsit.

Bothadswereprinted
duringatimeofwar,andbothwarsrequiredaheavypresencefromtheNavy.Inboth
recruitmentads,sailorsaredepictedasbeingstrong,bravecitizenswillingtodefendtheUnited
Stateswiththeirlives.Thisappealstotheemotionandlogicoftheaudience.Mostcitizens
knowofatleastonerelative,friendorlovedonewhohasservedintheUnitedStatesMilitary,
sotheseadsstrikeapersonalchord.ByservingtheUnitedStates,thesemenandwomen
ensurethepromiseoffreedomwithinthecountryandthesafetyofthelivesofcitizensonthe
homefront.