Nothing smells quite like a Marine.
Pungent with hints of the Parris Island swamp. The unmistakable notes of sweat-soaked combat boots and the earthy musk of a well-dug trench. Isn’t that the smell of a Marine?
Perhaps. But it’s not what the officially licensed Marine Corps cologne smells like. At $45 a bottle, “Devil Dog” is far from eau de grunt. Instead it boasts a “finely crafted fusion of sandalwood, cedar and citric spices” that “stands as a proud reminder of honor and tradition.”
The Corps, like the Army, the Navy and the other branches of the armed services, has realized that it is far more than the world’s premier fighting force. It is, like Coca-Cola and Apple and the University of Notre Dame, a good brand. A brand that can move merchandise, from T-shirts to playing cards to camouflage baby bibs.
There are Air Force bird feeders and Navy walking canes, Army paintball guns and a Marine Corps hot sauce so spicy it will “make you stand at attention.” And, yes, there is cologne.
Ever since the draft was discontinued in 1973, the military has had to sell itself to the general public, which has often seen service as someone else’s problem. But generally that selling was done by the advertising executives who produced recruiting commercials and the marketing consultants who coined phrases such as “Army strong.”
Now the services have entered the retail market, generating an explosion of military-themed products that sell for tens of millions of dollars annually — this year will net record sales for the Army — and have attracted such corporate giants as Under Armour, New Balance and Gillette.
For years, the services worked with private companies that sold items such as T-shirts and mugs. But those agreements were governed by relatively informal permission letters, and the services didn’t charge fees or collect royalties. Then in 2004, as the all-volunteer force was going through a recruiting crisis, Congress passed a law allowing the military to keep the revenue it generated by issuing licenses and trademarks.
As a result, the services have created offices dedicated to issuing licenses and making sure that slogans such as “The Few. The Proud” and emblems such as the Corps’ eagle, globe and anchor are registered trademarks with legal protections, just like “The King of Beers” and the Nike swoosh.
The agreements the military now has with companies are much more detailed and robust, ensuring, for example, that the firms are reputable and that the products are tasteful — no sex, politics or booze — and made without child labor.
The idea is simple brand management: promoting a positive image.
So, Air Force vodka? Not going to happen.
Air Force Christmas stocking? It’s only $22.95!
“U.S. Navy Alphabet Book”? “A is for aircraft carrier.”
$50 million in sales
With a more formal procedure in place, an increasing number of companies have signed up to do business with the Defense Department in recent years, military licensing officials said. In fiscal 2007, private retailers sold an estimated $5 million in Army branded products. This year, officials expect to sell $50 million worth, already generating more than $1.2 million in fees and royalties for the Army. By law, the money pays for the operations of the licensing program. Anything left over is mandated by Congress to go to military morale and recreation programs.
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