To start with, recruiting is not aimed at the vast mass of sheep we call Canadian voters, but of that small percentage that have within them the seeds of a professional soldier. The limp image the gov't likes to portray of a "kinder gentler army, like the peace corp or salvation army, only less well dressed" won't get us the recruits we need. I get so tired of the surprise I get when I tell people that I was a soldier ("the Canadian army?") Offering us as a secure job for those that find looking for a job too challenging is also typical of the kind of useless crap you get from letting civilian hirelings who do not respect the forces they are supposedly serving do your advertising. I joined for the challenge, for the adventure. There are still a lot of would-be warriors out there, it is to them we should be pitching. More than just our peacekeeping record, the performance of Canadian troops in Afghanistan has won them accolades from the American President, and the troops they served along side. Ads showcasing our troops in action will appeal to those who have dreamed of facing the challenge of combat, the kind of young turks the combat arms has been running on since the dawn of time. With the Army transformation, ISTAR etc, the CF is becoming more technologically relevant, and presenting more of an attractive challenge for a new generation of technically sophisticated youth, yet in the minds of the Canadian public, such technologies are only possessed by our American brethren. Show off the toys; if you want to recruit the kinds of people who can take our tech to the limit of its potential, show it off to the kinds of people who would give their left nut (or ovary) to get their hands on it. Stop presenting the CF as some sort of multicultural encounter group, and showcase the strength of its fighting arms, air, sea and land, and you will see an influx of would-be soldiers.
