The US Department of Defence paid celebrities such as YouTube star MrBeast, singer Kelly Clarkson, and TV presenter Guy Fieri last year to influence Gen Z to join the military amid low recruitment levels. Documents obtained by Rolling Stone revealed that various popular TV shows and personalities received funding from the Pentagon for production assistance agreements (PAAs). The Pentagon also approved funding for MrBeast to lead a humanitarian effort in Puerto Rico, but the deal fell through. A Government Accountability Office report noted the importance of engaging with young people through social media and digital platforms to inform them about military career paths. However, the federal government prohibits military use of TikTok due to its links to Chinese investors, limiting outreach to the younger generation. Currently, only 35% of Gen Z has favorable views of the military, leading to low recruitment numbers driven by a growing sentiment of mistrust towards institutions among young people. The US Department of Defence allocated $1.9 billion for traditional and digital recruitment and advertising efforts from July 2023 to June 2024 to address these recruitment challenges. These funding agreements are part of a longstanding relationship between the US military and the entertainment industry in order to attract more young recruits.
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Photo credit www.smh.com.au
Celebrities enlisted by the Pentagon to elevate army recruitment efforts this year
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