WHY THIS IS THE WORST US ARMY RECRUITING AD IN AMERICAN HISTORY

Over the years, the United States Army Recruiting Command has had to adapt its messaging as well as its approach to reaching potential new recruits. Back in the day, it was perfectly normal to see “Be All You Can Be” or “Army of One” commercials on every television channel and an Army recruiter skulking around every high school in the country searching for the most physically fit C-plus or C-minus students.

Fast-forward to the modern day, and the Army has had to change up its tactics a bit. For starters, no one watches cable TV anymore. Instead, they watch videos on social media, YouTube, and various paid streaming services, all of which now feature ads for the US Army from time to time. Today’s recruiters are continuously searching for modern and innovative ways to find potential recruits in the digital space and inform them of all the great benefits that await them in the United States Army.

Enter the Island Boys.

Earlier this year, Texas-based United States Army recruiter Staff Sgt. Orlando Tamez made the bold yet questionable decision to pay the Island Boys — a pair of social-media influencers who look like what would happen if Sideshow Bob dropped acid and fought a coloring book — to create and star in a video talking about the benefits of joining the Army. The video quickly went viral.