Military recruiting ads
India’s military recruiting ads are earnest beyond belief:
Japan’s parade of quality seamen is a little less somber and a lot more ‘In the Navy’:
Ukraine’s ad cuts to the point: join the army, get 72 virgins in miniskirts.
(via Sullivan)
on Saturday, December 15th, 2007, 1:48 am in Ads, Humor, Military, Video clips › 
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The first ad by the Indian Army is indeed fantastic. I think it captures the spirit without making it baseless like some of the US Marine ads are.
O how the cockles of my icy heart have been warméd…
but shucks, even I want to join the japanese navy now - aside from the cute uniforms, who wouldn’t want a job where each day begins with a co-ordinated group dance? seaman ship, seaman ship…
the uk’s army ad’s are funny. in that they present the army as one big rollicking live action computer game.
“Join the army and go to exotic distant lands so you can meet exciting new people and then kill them.”
I know, I know, without a Military we would be mincemeat. It’s hard not to have mixed feelings about these ads.
The UK’s ads are OK headmistress, but they sure as hell don’t make me want to join the army.
The Indian ad will appeal to the demographic they’re aiming at - patriotic young men with no sense of humour. They like being ROUSED. Much like the long gun on their tank in the video.
On that note…shouldn’t the Japanese video be more ‘In The Navy’ than ‘YMCA’?
Rohin, you are the Village People expert.
The flag planting was more dramatic than the moon landing.
I liked the Indian one a lot too…I work for a company that made the US National Guard Bureau recruitment vids and the difference is pretty stark. The focus in the American ones, especially for the NGB is on the person and their lives. The Indian one seems more patriotic to me…
http://www.mindandmedia.com/video-training.asp
The Indian recruiting video is plain silly, I thought.
Why focus on the Himalayas - is that where fresh soldiers would be posted?
The Pentagon had monitored the Kargil stand-off and was not impressed - their secret report thought that the clash was amateurish and a wasted effort. (The Indian response appeared in Outlook mag online in 2002).
The truth is India has not really fought a proper war ever, with a comparable ‘enemy’ like the US, Russia or China. It’s entire war stock seems directed at poor little Pakistan or maybe Bangladesh. Pathetic!
Let’s not forget that Indian pilots have lost some 70 MIGs (seen Rang de Basanti?) and 15 Sea Harriers - without fighting a war. Can anyone beat that? Indians badly need real military experience by clashing with one of the top aggressors the US, Russia or China.
Good reason to start a war #487.
Edsa,
“Indians badly need real military experience by clashing with one of the top aggressors the US, Russia or China.”
And we “badly need” such an experience in order to … do what? To prepare for a war against US, Russia or China?
Oh wait.. that’s recursive. Infinite loop.
You’re fired, Edsa.
I wouldn’t say ‘poor little Pakistan’ regarding its army, seeing as it’s bigger than the American or Russian army by quite a way.
I badly need cancer, so I can experience true resilience.
Manish, I am proud to be the Village People Person, after all, I’m an Indian.
Hi Vivek
My point - why is India accumulating all those formidable armaments for - all untested?
Like being all decked up but nowhere to go!!
Even without a war, the pilots keeps losing planes. These are after all foreign machines and the Indians are simply not at ease with the technology. They need to take part in a real war to test their prowess.
Even with the Tamil Tigers encounter in the 1970s, the Indian army suffered lots of casualities and withdrew pretty soon.
Can you imagine the them confronting the Chinese or Russians? That will be the day.
I hope they don’t just stick to little Pakistan or Bangladesh.
Edsa, don’t worry. We’ll make sure you are not the only one left without a missile to sit on when the peace stops.
OK. I just came from seeing I Am Legend (eh) this evening, and before it I saw an ad for the National Guard. I know they always have those ads before movies, and I know they are made to convince the audience that they’re in Mission Impossible or Spiderman or someshit, but this one was over the top. They were reenacting scenes from what looked like the Revolutionary War, and WW I and II. With a 3 Doors Down soundtrack. Ugh. UGH.
Rahul,
Instead of answering my comment, you wander onto something about a missile to sit on!
Come, come - stick to the issue, man.
Blind patriotism won’t save you or India when an enemy that matters stirkes.
> Instead of answering my comment, you wander onto something about a missile to sit on!
> Come, come - stick to the issue, man.
> Blind patriotism won’t save you or India when an enemy that matters stirkes.
This is a blog — where you have a right to an opinion before a right to know. With that said, I think
it’s pretty obvious India doesn’t have a 1st rate military when compared to the likes of US, Russia, Israel, etc.
Look at the US, the countries it invades have as much chance of wining as a 2 foot snowfall happening in Tamil Nadu.
Edsa,
This is hardly the forum to explain defence and security-related matters, but understand that no modern army needs to go to war against specific opponents to test their weapons. Rohin has given an apt analogy about testing one’s prowess. Think about it.
I hope for your own sake that you would do some more reading about the issues surrounding the fighter planes that we have lost before making statements like “Indians are simply not at ease with the technology”.
Though I have prescribed a bit of reading to you already, I wish you would read some more about IPKF. Firstly, about why and when it went in (hint: NOT 1970s), and then about what it did there and why it was withdrawn (hint: nothing to do with casualty count).
Also note that India has never gone to war against Bangladesh (you might not know it, but we fought against Pakistan in 1971, not Bangladesh). Even today, it is not the Indian Army that is deployed at Indo-BD border, but the BSF (big difference, more reading for you).
All this has got nothing to do with blind patriotism. The fact that one of the recruitment ads for Indian Army was better than a selected sample of some other Armies can be admitted without talking about proving the prowess and assorted half-baked knowledge. To draw an analogy, I don’t have to discuss ToI’s quality of coverage if we are discussing their advertising. The crappiest products can have the best of advertising (Pepsi & Coke, to name just two).
Manish,
Sorry for dragging this off-topic thread. Will stop now. Promise.
This Edsa is obviously a troll…lets not feed him. :)
I get all teary eyed when I see this kind of over-the-top patriotic stuff - no matter if it’s Indian or American. Can’t explain it…but I’m not proud of it.
Edsa, I see how a reference to Dr. Strangelove might have led you to start worrying and hate my jingoism. I think a chief reason for the large number of fighter plane crashes is our overweight pilots. However, I do believe that India’s lost glory can be restored by instituting an intensive program of college plays, drive-by shootings, and radio station takeovers.
Not to mention randomly beating passers-by who annoy you.
“Speak softly and carry a big stick.”
–Teddy Roosevelt (An American President for all seasons)
Is it merely wishful thinking that India is engaged in building a big stick?