Jan. 3 (UPI) -- The British army's new recruitment campaign is putting a positive spin on criticisms of young people, suggesting so-called "snowflakes," "binge gamers" and "phone zombies" are welcomed and needed in its ranks.
The Guardian reported Thursday the "Your Army Needs You" campaign includes posters and television ads with the phrases and others in hopes of catching the attention of 16- to 25-year-olds, referred to as Generation Z.
The posters features various young adults, with the design modeled on old World War I-era "Your Country Needs You" posters. The idea behind the posters and the TV ads appear to be geared toward showing young people they are valued in today's army, stating that they need the compassion of snowflakes, the confidence of selfie-takers and the focus of phone zombies.
"The Army sees people differently and we are proud to look beyond the stereotypes and spot the potential in young people, from compassion to self-belief," Maj. Gen Paul Nanson said.
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NBC News reported the British army has found it challenging to keep up with its ongoing target of 82,000 troops recently amid falling recruit numbers. Officials said they hope the effort shows the military's willingness to reach out to young adults where they are in life.
"We are trying to show that we are unlocking potential, the potential that many elements of society may not see in young people but we do," Col. Ben Wilde, head of recruiting for the British army, told journalists Thursday.
Nick Terry, a marketing director behind the campaign, brushed off criticism of the army using words like "snowflake" as a desperate attempt to recruit.
"I think 'snowflake' was the word of the year in the Collins Dictionary in 2016," Terry said. "The message we're trying to get across is the Army doesn't actually recognize those labels and we just see the potential in that generation, whoever they are, whatever their background."
