Presentation Skills That Will Take You to the Top (Collection)

10. Slogan Power: Why the U.S. Army’s “Be All That You Can Be” Succeeded

The U.S. Army’s “Be All That You Can Be” slogan, which ran for more than 20 years—until it was replaced by the far less memorable successor, “Army of One,”—became as well known as any commercial brand.

Bill Peacock was the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Manpower and Reserve Affairs who helped spearhead the “Be All That You Can Be” campaign. He provided a back story that offers a lesson for any communication medium.

In the late 1970s, the Army was experiencing serious defections from its ranks and was having trouble attracting replacements. Almost half of those ranks were populated by high school drop-outs, a demographic most likely to drop out of the Army as well. The ...