A partnership between the U.S. Army and Dwayne “The Rock”Johnson to help boost falling enlistment figures has reportedly backfired, resulting in an $11 million loss with nothing to show for it.
The high-profile marketing deal likely didn’t lead to a single new Army recruit, according to a report from Military.com, which reviewed internal documents. The service may even seek to get some of its money back. To make matters worse, the partnership could have actually hurt Army recruitment, with a projected loss of 38 enlistments.
During the 2020 election, Dwayne “The Rock”Johnson publicly endorsed Joe Biden and Kamala Harris — a move that clearly wouldn’t have endeared him to the type of young, working class males who typically sign up for military service.
As a political independent & centrist, I’ve voted for both parties in the past. In this critical presidential election, I’m endorsing @JoeBiden & @KamalaHarris.
— Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) September 27, 2020
Progress takes courage, humanity, empathy, strength, KINDNESS & RESPECT.
We must ALL VOTE: https://t.co/rZi1mxh8DC pic.twitter.com/auLbc8xDBv
Nevertheless, the Army chose Johnson with the intent to leverage the Hollywood star’s vast social media following as a way of reaching the Gen Z cohort.
The Army valued each social media post at $1 million and was expecting five of them. But Johnson apparently did not meet that very low threshold — making only two of the five social media posts, according to the report.
As part of the deal, the Army also teamed up with the UFL — the minor league football organization — to feature prominent Army branding during games, including the service’s logo on players’ uniforms. Johnson is an owner of the league.
In total, the Army wants to recoup $6 million from the UFL, according to the report, through it was unclear how the service came up with that figure.
“We are in the process of working with the UFL to determine the final cost,” Laura DeFrancisco, a spokesperson for the Army’s marketing arm, told Military.com.
As Breitbart News reported, the Army has seen its recruitment figures plummet to alarming levels, calling into question the country’s military readiness in the event of a major conflict. Recruiting white males has become especially difficult, as woke military policies and the Biden-Harris administration’s disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan is turning off potential recruits.
Follow David Ng on Twitter @HeyItsDavidNg. Have a tip? Contact me at
