The public face of the United States Army got a different look last week with a new advertising campaign that seeks to appeal to individualistic youth.

Students, however, are receiving the change with mixed reactions.

The Army introduced its first major change in advertising since 1981 in a television spot that first aired last Thursday during Friends. The new campaign, which now includes three television spots and 10 print ads, centers around the message "An Army of One." However, many students said they prefer the familiar slogan "Be All You Can Be".

Loran Davis (senior-integrative arts and history), who can break into the "Be All You Can Be" chorus on cue, is already nostalgic for the Army's former campaign.

"Everyone is so accustomed to the old slogan. For most people, the change will be difficult," Davis said.

The new multimedia advertising campaign is the result of extensive research and seeks to appeal to a generation of individualists while at the same time reflecting Army values, according to an Army news release.

"The 'Army of One' campaign focuses on the strength and teamwork of the U.S. Army as a united force of many soldiers, while reinforcing the concept that each individual makes a unique contribution to the Army's success," said Louis Caldera, secretary of the Army, in the release.

The campaign is designed to encourage potential recruits to not only be a part of the crowd, but to be themselves and "make a difference for the team," said Ted Groholske of the State College Recruiting Station.

"Hopefully, the ads will be thought provoking and people will consider that there is responsibility with being part of a group," Groholske said.

However, some students do not share the same sentiments as Army officials and feel the slogan may have an adverse effect on those considering joining the Army.

"I think the ad may convince people to join for the wrong reason," Paul Mbugua Githiga (freshman-finance) said. "It focuses on personal gain and satisfaction, which contradicts the idea of the Army."

Other students feel that the campaign will have little effect on its audience.

"I don't think the slogan is what brings people to the Army. A lot of people join for educational and financial reasons, not because of an advertisement," Liane Beggs (senior-kinesiology) said.

The Army feels that the public will be more receptive to the change after time.

"Like any new thing, it will take a little getting use to," Groholske said. "It just started."

Leo Burnett Worldwide Inc., a Chicago-based advertising company, developed the Army's new national communications campaign.

"There really is a dual message in the new slogan, it stresses the importance of the idea of one team towards one mission, but gives some attribution to personal gain and transformation," said Matthew Jones, account director at Leo Burnett. "It is not abandoning the idea of teamwork."

Also affiliated with the campaign is Cartel Creativo, a Hispanic-oriented agency based in San Antonio and IMAGES USA, an African-American agency in Atlanta. Both groups helped to develop cultural strategies to reach different ethnic backgrounds.

"I think the ad is more inclusive and invites people with different backgrounds to come together," said Mike Maitland (sophomore-economics). "It doesn't appeal to me though."

The advertisements feature real soldiers and highlight the 212 different career opportunities for Army recruits. "Rather than using actors, we feel that using real soldiers shows the true face of the Army," Linda Wolf, chief executive officer of Leo Burnett USA, said in the release.

The multimedia campaign includes television, radio and print advertisements, as well as a new logo and Web site at www.goarmy.com. The Web site is a dot.com domain rather than a dot.mil so it will always be accessible, Groholske said.