Here's a classic modern recruiting poster used by our beloved Marine Corps:

What is the argument here? No, not what the drill instructor is yelling about. The argument as in the point of the poster - its purpose. The argument is that when considering military service one should choose the Marine Corps over the others - that it is the toughest, the hardest, and the most prestigious. And they don't apologize for it.
The audience targeted by this ad, and others of its kind is more broad than one might think at first glance. For the sake of simplicity, I will suggest three groups of people. First, and most obvious, are young people out to "join up," those who are looking to enlist in the armed forces. This group would also include those who are considering enlisting, or who have an interest in the idea of enlisting. Second are parents. Specifically, parents of those from the first group and parents who are concerned about their children's future or are wishing that their children were part of the first group. Third, and broadest of all, are those who need confirmation that the Marines are still cocksure and proud, and are getting the job done. This includes patriots who are proud of the military heritage of our nation, and look for the showy strength of the armed forces and find therein reassurance and confidence. Also included are current and retired Marines - they need to know that the fire's still alive and hot, that traditions are being carried forward.
The target audiences are given the argument via a number of effective communication lines in this poster. Kids looking for action, military lifestyle, and tough-as-nails training are given the image of a vein-bursting drill instructor shrieking into a recruit's face at close range. The saying at the top assures the one viewing the poster that it isn't easy - an appealing thought for one up for a challenge (and then some!). For all audiences, the all-too-familiar shape of the "smokey bear" campaign cover (the drill instructor's "hat") strikes home as being prototypically "Marine," which carries with it some of the mystique and magic that only one properly inducted into the brotherhood called the Corps can understand, that quality that drives young men to sacrifice years of life to sweat and suffer through recruit training ("boot camp"). The simplicity of the image and poster add to the overall feeling that life is simple and rugged for Marines - and desireable.
It is quite effective in its rhetoric - I consider myself a fairly right-minded and non-violent individual, and it got me, didn't it?
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