The Army is tapping influencers to win over Gen Z recruits

The U.S. Army is turning to sponcon to reach Gen Z. 

Steven Kelly, who has more than 1.3 million Instagram followers, ordinarily posts fitness and lifestyle content, peppered with an array of shirtless photos and sponsored posts for energy drinks and supplement brands. 

But a post back in July shows the influencer decked out in Army combat gear, swapping the gym floor for basic military training. The post was part of a sponsored partnership with Go Army. 

A second post was captioned: “This experience showed me how the Army builds readiness, resilience, and discipline, preparing Soldiers to face challenges head-on and succeed in any environment.”

The caption directed Kelly’s followers to a link in his bio to learn more about opportunities in the Army, signed off with the hashtag #Ad. “Thanks for hanging with us, Steven!” Go Army responded in the comments. 

The remainder of the comments section was mixed, with many accusing the influencer of selling out. “War propaganda is so back,” one person wrote. “Army cosplay?” another commented. “It’s giving Hunger Games. It’s giving Class Wars,” added a third.

Kelly isn’t the only influencer enlisted by the Army to reach the digitally native generation. The Guardian recently reported that these posts are part of a new initiative to reach potential Gen Z recruits and increase the Army’s visibility. 

“The Army identifies social media influencers based on specific criteria for brand guidelines and validating audience alignment,” Army spokesperson Madison Bonzo told Fast Company. “The Army partners with influencers who are capable of creating authentic and relatable content that offers an unfiltered glimpse into military life, sharing compelling stories and tapping into emotional connections related to Army service.” 

Influencer Breannah Yeh, best known for her slacklining content, switched things up by posting a video of herself skydiving with an Army-branded parachute. “When you team up with a U.S. Army Jumpmaster, the lessons are limitless,” her caption read. “In partnership with @goarmy.” 

In June, the Army invited more than 30 influencers to its 250th anniversary parade, with behind-the-scenes access and opportunities to interview veterans and soldiers, in an effort to reach new audiences and attract the next generation to enlist. 

“This strategic evolution aims to reach Generation Z by engaging them on their preferred digital channels and acknowledging their life and career priorities,” Bonzo said. “These partnerships increase the Army’s visibility, bring awareness to untapped audiences, and articulate the possibilities of Army service in unique and creative ways.”

This strategy shift came as the Army failed to hit its recruitment goals by almost 25% in 2022 and 2023. In 2024, it successfully met its goal of 55,000 new soldiers, but only by lowering the target by more than 10,000. 

Despite the mixed reaction, tapping in influencers may be working. This year’s recruitment goal is more than 10% higher, but in June the Army announced it had already hit its yearly target—four months earlier than expected.

https://www.fastcompany.com/91392481/the-army-is-tapping-influencers-to-win-over-gen-z-recruits?partner=rss&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss+fastcompany&utm_content=rss