The U.S. Army
It’s no secret. The U.S. Army has a recruiting problem. Gen Z doesn’t want to join. The way it’s portrayed in the media, pop culture, video games, and movies is not exactly inspiring. Boots, bullets, blood, and battlefields.
Sounds fun, he wrote sarcastically.
But the truth is that for 250 years, the Army is a place to gain new skills, get an education, and find community. In this time they’ve become the best at overcoming obstacles, pushing technology, and driving people to be all they can be.
250 years requires more than 90 seconds. So we added another 60.
This time, we didn’t just focus on obstacles. We focused on the achievements the Army helped push that nobody thinks about. The exploration. The medical marvels. The engineering. Even the teeny-tiny drones.
Today, Army R&D makes its way to civilian life in unexpected ways.
And no, duct tape was not one of them. We were surprised on that one too.
The Impossible Shot
If being all you can be means making the impossible possible, how do we bring that to life? Why, by making a 40 foot basketball hoop and bringing it to the NCAA Final Four, of course.
We built a traveling basketball hoop and court that was only possible to hit with Army teamwork and technology. By outfitting a Javelin, a Mortar, and a drone to launch and sink shots from ground level, we drew out fan’s potential so they could be all they could be.
Then, we built a 40-foot goal post for college football games and created a competition where fans could fire shots to outscore their opponents. Did I get to keep the Javelin when it was all over? Maybe.
THE FOXTROT HOTEL
Few people know that the U.S. Army is the number one employer of musicians in the country. In fact, they have a rock band named As You Were who performs their own original music in their outreach program. These Soldiers are legit. They’ve opened at festivals for bands like Metallica, Slipknot, and Disturbed. We had the opportunity to design a space just for them, so we turned it into an selfie museum dedicated to them and the U.S. Army. The best part though? The T-Shirt Guitar Cannon.
The Birthday Brigade
For the Army’s 250th birthday, we made a float for the Rose Bowl. A big one. With moving pieces. Historical figures from throughout history. We cranked it up to 5 mph in 60 seconds. It seated 45. It didn’t have a sunroof. It had no roof. In retrospect, that’s called a convertible. I’m your guy if you need a float.
