Erin Shields

Professor Justice

ENGL 393

03/07/2024

1280 Words

Rhetorical Analysis: Exploring the Layers of Marine Corps Advertising

The billboard on the left is one that is local to me. It was hastily taken by me, hence the

blurriness. The image on the right is a clearer representation of the same billboard (TJ,

2021).
 For years, sexual assault and harassment has been an issue across the

Department of Defense. One prime example of this was a scandal that occurred in 2017.

Men were posting inappropriate pictures of women, including female Marines, to a

private Facebook group. This adversely affected the public image of the Marine Corps.

The issue of sexual harrassment and sexual assault is a complex issue to tackle. There is

a need for internal and external actions. This Marine Corps billboard is an example of

external actions that were taken. Incidents like this do not happen out of the blue.

Previously normalized behavior made Marines comfortable objectifying women,

including the ones they work with. In 2017, the Marine Corps had the lowest percentage

of women, and the Facebook scandal was a clear reflection of that. The Marine Corps

needed to make it clear they value women. In an effort to recruit female Marines, their

marketing team rolled out an ad campaign with advertisements, including the inserted

billboard. They used a clear message, confident tone, targeted audience, confident tone,

purposeful imagery, and Nomos. There was some untapped potential in the way they

used these rhetorical elements, but they will be analyzed.

Since the Marines are associated with the U.S. Military, these billboards can be

seen across America. I encountered it in Elkridge, Maryland, specifically on Washington

Boulevard. People who drive past it may be driving to or from neighborhoods,

businesses, religious gatherings, and highways. It is also not too far from UMBC.

According to the United States Census, Elkridge has 51.6% women and 60.4% non-white

people. This billboard features a white woman holding a gun while wearing a

camouflaged military uniform at the forefront. She is positioned next to a text box that

has been styled to look like an internet search bar. "My place in the marine corps" is
what it says, with all capitalized letters. The word "Marines" and the U.S. Marines's

vector emblem are positioned beneath the text box. The uniform blends in nicely with

the woodland backdrop, and the entire billboard is filled with shades of green and

brown. I chose this billboard because it is on a busy road. I was going to choose another

billboard but the story behind the billboard’s creation piqued my interest.

The only phrase on the billboard is clear, and the viewer is able to identify the

message immediately after reading it. According to the billboard, if someone is

searching for their place in the marine corps, it will not be hard to find. The woman

looks confident in her abilities, showing that her training has equipped her for anything

she faces. Men make up 82.5% of the U.S. military’s demographic. Because of the sheer

number of them, they are more likely to have leadership positions as well. According to

Scott Jensen, who once led the sexual assault prevention program at the Marine Corps

increasing diversity won’t help. He specifically said diversity “ doesn't happen unless you

change policies that make things more inviting for women.” (Seck, 2021). Misogynistic

behavior probably has been met with a slap on the wrist, because of the culture that has

been established at the Department of Defense. The billboard’s message is clear, but

that might not be enough to persuade a female audience.

This billboard was released alongside other billboards that intended to increase

recruitment numbers and rebuild a positive image of the U.S. Marines. This particular

billboard was aimed at an audience of women. They could have persuaded more women

to enlist if they added some missing components to the billboard. Since women can have

intersecting identities, featuring an individual woman may not have been the best

choice. Presenting an ideal vision of a diverse Marine Corps, including women and men

of different races, would have been more effective. As a person who belongs to the
targeted audience, it did not sway me. Before researching the Marine Corps, I was not

aware of the Marine Corps’s efforts to recruit women. I have driven past this billboard

many times, and it did not even begin to convince me to enlist. From my perspective,

anyone who has not already entertained the idea of serving their country would not be

persuaded by this billboard. Additionally, since the woman who is featured was white,

people of color may not be led to think that the Marine Corps has a place for them. The

billboard will reach a narrower audience than intended because of this.

The tone of this billboard shows how confident the marketing team was. People

are complex, and there is no career path or organization that is one-size-fits-all.

Claiming that anyone would feel like they belong in the U.S. Marines is bold. Their tone

may have a positive effect on the audience. This tone hints that they are actively

working towards creating an inclusive environment. Seeing if this work is fruitful would

take time. Scott Jensen applauded the quick response the Marine Corps had after the

Facebook scandal (Seck, 2021). The audience might be led to think that the Marine

Corps has made meaningful progress concerning how inclusive and equitable they are.

The majority of drivers can read the billboard due to its font size and

capitalization. This billboard's positioning allowed for easy digestion in just five

seconds. Because it stands out without being overbearing, the text enhances the visual

images. The colors of the images included earthtones, black, and a pale skin tone. The

inclusion of a white text box emphasized the text without detracting from the billboard's

overall imagery. The audience’s eyes may look at the woman first, but they read the text

immediately after that. This choice of billboard design allows the audience to take in the

billboard’s message without dangerously taking their eyes off the road.
 Nomos is employed by this billboard. Being a soldier is a great honor, and

Americans are proud of those who serve their country. The United States military has

been a source of pride ever since the country was established. Both victories and

veterans are frequently honored. Having served in the military is appreciated by many.

Patriotic Americans who see this billboard may feel dignified if they choose to enlist in

the military. Other people who may not like the history of America and its military

would not react this way. I don’t have a positive outlook on the military. People who

share the same opinion as me might also be unaffected by the billboard. According to

the USAFacts Team, “Every military branch has fewer active-duty personnel than it did

in the latter half of the 20th century”. The American tradition of people joining the

military might be a thing of the past. The marketing team might have to go back to the

drawing board to reach a wider audience. Maybe instead of a woman who’s ready for

battle, the billboard could have featured a woman graduating from college. Nowadays,

people may care more about avoiding student debt.

Ultimately, this billboard was not effective in persuading its audience. Their

message was clear, but it was not compelling enough to change people’s minds. People

who would consider joining the military still will after seeing the billboard. Other people

who would never enlist would not be convinced by this billboard. It did not convey that

any meaningful change happened, just that they publicly support women. The Marine

Corps’ reputation and demographics speak much louder than their billboards.

Regardless of their use of the aforementioned rhetorical elements, their recruitment

numbers probably did not budge after these billboards were rolled out. In a way, they

were preaching to the choir.

Works Cited

Seck, H. H. (2021, June 18). 4 years after the Marines United Scandal, what has the

military learned?. Military.com.

https://www.military.com/podcasts/left-of-boom/2021/06/17/4-years-after-ma

rines-united-what-has-military-learned.html

TJ. (2021, August 12). Winona Area Crime Stoppers offering reward for info on

Downtown Building Vandals. Winona Radio.

https://winonaradio.com/2021/08/12/98585/

U.S. Census Bureau quickfacts: Elkridge CDP, Maryland. U.S. Census Bureau. (n.d.).

https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/elkridgecdpmaryland/BZA115220

USAFacts Team. (2023, November 24). Is Us military enlistment down?. USAFacts.

https://usafacts.org/articles/is-military-enlistment-down/
Notes

What’s actually in this billboard? What are its contents?

At the forefront of this billboard is a white woman in a camouflaged military uniform

holding a gun. She is looking past the camera, with a serious and confident facial

expression. There is a text box to the right of the woman that is formatted to resemble a

google search bar. It reads ‘My place in the marine corps''. The U.S. Marines vector logo

is under the text box, along with the word “Marines”. The whole billboard has elements

of green and brown, with the uniform blending well with the forested background.

How would you describe the visual elements of this billboard such as the

color, composition, juxtaposition, or graphic design?

The visual elements of this billboard are easy to digest. It is clear that the textual

elements are meant to stand out the most, since white contrasts with green and brown.

There is not a lot of text on this billboard which makes it easy to read while passing by.

The billboard commands attention without begging for it.

What’s not in this billboard that perhaps should be? What kind of choices

did the authors make?

The billboard only includes one person. If the viewer is meant to believe that anyone can

be a U.S. Marine, showcasing a diverse group would make more sense. It would be

easier to represent that everyone is welcome with more people on the billboard.

Diversity in race and gender would have been more effective in persuading people to

enlist. The woman on the billboard looks like she’s ready for battle, but another benefit

to being in the military is a sense of community. Having women training with each other

would have shown that anyone can find their place in the Marine Corps. Only white

women would be able to see themselves in this billboard, and there are a lot of women of
color in Maryland. This billboard could still reach a wide audience, but its potential is

stunted by the fact that only one person is featured on it.

What kind of text appears in this billboard? How does it complement or

clash with the visual images?

The text size and capitalization makes the billboard readable for most drivers. The

placement of this billboard made it digestible within five seconds. The text complements

the visual images because it stands out without being an eyesore. The colors of the

images included earthtones, black, and a pale skin tone. The addition of a white text box

drew attention to the text without taking away from the contents of the rest of the

billboard.

Who or what is the author of this billboard? What kind of image did this

billboard project of that author?

Whoever is on the marketing/recruitment team in the U.S. Marines authored this

billboard. Although this billboard was meant to be inclusive, the authors might be a bit

out of touch with their audience. They are trying to increase their recruitment numbers,

specifically with women, but the billboard is not really compelling. If one’s place in the

marines is alone in the woods, that does not sound appealing to the general public.

Maybe if one’s place was at a graduation with no student loan debt, or fighting alongside

others, enlisting would be a desirable life choice.

What does he/she/it want? What “work” is this billboard doing? What’s its

purpose?

The author wants more women to join the Marine Corps. This billboard is one of many

that were released in a marketing campaign. Other ones were aimed at millennials as a

whole. There was a scandal involving male marines posting inappropriate photos of
female marines. This damaged their reputation and they are trying to remedy this.

There has also been an overall decline in recruitment numbers.

Who is the intended audience? How do you know this? Who isn’t this

billboard designed for? Who might be offended by it, if anyone? Who might

it persuade?

The intended audience for this billboard is women. The only person pictured is a woman

and the billboard implies that she has a place in the marine corps. The woman appears

to be white, so the billboard does not directly reach women of color.

What message is the billboard trying to communicate to that audience?

This billboard is trying to rewrite the narrative that the U.S. Marines are men. Although

men make up the majority of their members, they are trying to change that. They want

to publicize the fact that they would love to recruit women.

What tone is this billboard adopting? Why? Is its voice angry, satirical,

serious, academic, parental, or authoritative?

The tone of this billboard is direct. The reader can quickly identify the message while

driving by.

What kinds of appeals does this billboard use? Ethical? Logical? Emotional?

Other?

This billboard employs Nomos. Serving one’s country is seen as admirable, and proud

Americans appreciate those who do it. Victories are celebrated regularly and veterans

are as well. There is recognition for being in the military. Since this message is being

spread by a military branch, there is an element of ethos as well.

How does this billboard make you feel, think, or act?

I have driven past this billboard many times and I have been unaffected by it. I have no

intentions of joining the military. People who would never consider the military, or the

marines will probably not be swayed by the billboard. Maybe those who are on the fence

would apply because of this billboard. They are clearly putting money behind these

recruitment efforts, so hopefully their retention efforts match that.

Why is THIS billboard located in THIS location? What role does place play

in this billboard’s message and design?

This billboard is located on Washington Blvd in Elkridge Maryland. People who drive

past it may be driving to or from neighborhoods, businesses, religious gatherings, and

highways. It is also not too far from UMBC.

Peer Review:

Dear Erin,

The description of the billboard was done quite nicely. You have vivid details and the

imagery

and the text and you explain their significance.

The intro is solid – connects the background info well with the billboard’s point. You

brought up

internal and external actions but didn't dive deep, except for one external example.

Overall, a

good summary.

Not enough content to fully analyze with roughly two pages but so far you’ve done a

pleasant

job. You hit most rhetorical elements well, but missed talking about the tone.

Your best paragraph is the intro, really captures the reader's attention. The fourth

paragraph

needs some fixing. Spotted a few punctuation and grammar mistakes, like missing

periods and a

repetition issue. You said, “… the marine corps has a place in the marine corps” – seems

off but

it’s a simple fix.

You've got a good grasp on the concept of rhetorical analysis. Good luck with your draft

–it's

sure to turn out great!

Best regards,

Nicole