Joe Biden‘s Pentagon tried to avert a military recruitment crisis by offering deals to celebrities including Gen Z YouTube star MrBeast.
Other offers were made to pop star Kelly Clarkson, chat show host Jennifer Hudson, and TV chef Guy Fieri, according to documents obtained by Rolling Stone.
Such deals are known as Production Assistance Agreements (PAAs) and involve support in the form of equipment and expertise.
They have often been used in the past for Hollywood action movies, including Top Gun, to boost the military’s image.
It emerged earlier this year that the Pentagon also engaged in a failed recruitment drive that involved social media posts by The Rock.
In a government report on military recruitment released in November the ‘strategic goal’ for all branches of the military was set out as ‘Generation Z’.
The report said: ‘Favorable views about the military are declining among Generation Z – the generation born in 1997 through 2012 – that today’s military recruiters are striving to reach.’
It said only 35 percent of Gen Z had a favorable view of the military and this was due to ‘young people’s general mistrust in institutions and their limited knowledge of military service.’
Young people increasingly ‘view the real world through social media discussions, videos, and memes,’ the report said.
Kelly Clarkson’s show was listed among those with production assistance agreements last year as the Pentagon seeks to boost recruitment
Guy Fieri’s ‘Guy’s All-American Road Trip’ had a production assistance agreement
In 2023 the Navy, Army and Air Force all failed to meet their recruitment goals, while the Marine Corps and the tiny Space Force met their targets.
The Army brought in just over 50,000 recruits, falling well short of its publicly stated goal of 65,000.
The Department of Defense has been involved with Hollywood for a century, particularly through the loan of miltary hardware which saves money for film producers.
Movies that have benefited include Armageddon, Black Hawk Down, the Transformers and James Bond franchises, Top Gun and its sequel Top Gun: Maverick.
MrBeast has become a YouTube sensation
Tom Cruise’s Top Gun movies boosted recruitment for the military
Armageddon also benefited from cooperation of the military
However, as big screen audiences decline due to the popularity of streaming, military promoters are looking elsewhere as they try to reach potential young recruits.
A deal was explored with Jimmy Donaldson, 26, the YouTube star known as ‘MrBeast,’ for a potential filming trip to Puerto Rico, Rolling Stone reported.
“We did complete a PAA for the Social Influencer Mr. Beast, but ultimately did not support the production as he did not go to Puerto Rico for the Hurricane relief, so that PAA is cancelled,’ an email obtained by the outlet stated.
Other shows that had PAAs included The Price Is Right and America’s Got Talent.
Several branches of the services missed their recruiting targets in 2023
An F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jet takes off from the flight deck of the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) aircraft carrier during operations in the southern Red Sea, on Tuesday, March 19, 2024
Earlier this year, the U.S. Army cut a separate $11 million deal with the United Football League (UFL) and Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson.
It included promotional social media posts to the star’s 396 million Instagram followers.
However, the campaign failed to win a single recruit, according to internal documents seen by Military.com.
In response to missing recruitment targets in 2023, the military launched a sweeping overhaul to focus more on young people
Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson meets service members
Aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman moored near Split, Croatia
In September 2024 it was revealed the Army, Air Force, Marine Corps and Space Force were all set to meet their recruiting goals, and the Navy was close.
The results represented a slight uptick in young people joining the military, reversing the dismal trend.
That trend was affected by severe restrictions on in-person recruiting due to the pandemic, and the low unemployment rate.
A recruiter for the New York Army National Guard in Troy, New York
Army leaders are concerned that an expected drop in the youth population may signal more difficult times ahead.
The expected drop of about 10 percent in the number of college-age young people in 2026 comes 18 years after the financial recession in 2008, which triggered a decrease in the number of children born.
Military leaders have also noted that only about 23 percent of young adults are physically, mentally and morally qualified to serve without receiving some type of waiver.
