Last but not least: The armed forces and their sexy marketing strategy
A bald, macho-type guy leans casually against his sports car, surrounded by four girls. Then a tank pulls up. A soldier gets out, runs his hand over the gun, and asks, «Hey, girls, up for a joyride?‘
The pretty girls don't need to be told twice and run after the tank - the sports car and its owner are forgotten from one second to the next. So much for the rough summary of a commercial by the Austrian Armed Forces, which ends with the sentence "The Austrian Armed Forces offer unique opportunities for young people over 18. Everything else is everyday life".
The Bundesheer thinks the commercial is just fine: "Our clip is so stupid that it's brilliant again," says Colonel Johann Millonig in an interview with the Süddeutsche Zeitung. There's no question that the commercial has a certain entertainment value. And it's kind of funny too. However, some claim that it is sexist. And because of these malicious tongues, Austria's defense minister has had the film removed from the army's official website. It will also no longer be shown in the Austrian media. The reason given for the withdrawal was that the army did not want to hurt anyone's feelings as part of its information campaign.
Incidentally, a video by the Ukrainian army is said to have served as the model for the commercial. However, this was shot with trained actors, professional camera work and a healthy dose of self-irony. The Ministry of Defense stated that it was not aware of the Ukrainian commercial. This is despite the fact that marketing strategists from the NATO member states are said to regularly exchange information.
The Bundesheer thinks the commercial is just fine: "Our clip is so stupid that it's brilliant again," says Colonel Johann Millonig in an interview with the Süddeutsche Zeitung. There's no question that the commercial has a certain entertainment value. And it's kind of funny too. However, some claim that it is sexist. And because of these malicious tongues, Austria's defense minister has had the film removed from the army's official website. It will also no longer be shown in the Austrian media. The reason given for the withdrawal was that the army did not want to hurt anyone's feelings as part of its information campaign.
Incidentally, a video by the Ukrainian army is said to have served as the model for the commercial. However, this was shot with trained actors, professional camera work and a healthy dose of self-irony. The Ministry of Defense stated that it was not aware of the Ukrainian commercial. This is despite the fact that marketing strategists from the NATO member states are said to regularly exchange information.
