Highlights:
- Army-UFL $11 million partnership yields no new recruits
- Dwayne Johnson posts only 2 of 5 promised Army-related social media updates
- Internal review projects loss of 38 potential enlistments due to partnership
According to a report in Military.com, the United States Army is seeking to recover $6 million from its $11 million marketing partnership with the United Football League (UFL) after the deal failed to generate a single new recruit.
Documents obtained by author Steve Beynon reveal that the Army-UFL collaboration, which began earlier this year, did not meet its intended goals. The partnership included prominent Army branding on UFL player uniforms and during game broadcasts throughout the league’s inaugural season from March to June.
If you watched any of the UFL games this season, the United States Army logo was everywhere. Including interviews with Army members during games and the “Army” replay center. So in that respect, the UFL certainly held its end of the bargain. But it seems the plan included a bit more.
A key component of the partnership involved UFL co-owner Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson promoting the Army on social media. The Army valued Johnson’s posts at $1 million each, expecting five posts to his 396 million Instagram followers. However, Johnson only made two Army-related posts, with none since April. This shortfall in social media promotion contributed to the partnership’s underperformance.
This is where things get a bit sticky. It seems that Johnsons name was part of the deal to land the $11 million marketing partnership but is Johnson really a UFL co-owner anymore. Sources have been telling UFL News Hub that Johnson and for the most part Dany Garcia have had little to do with the United Football League. Both are not as hands on as they were with the XFL. The Rock, not at all, and Garcia is very limited aside from appearances. Both bring some business connections, but the running of the league and major decision makers for the UFL are FOX and RedBird Capital.
Maybe at the time of the deal both Johnson and Garcia were all in as this would have been part of the XFL, but with the merger and when the UFL season started, Johnson was out. So he was not on the hook for the posts anymore, just a hunch. But aside from the UFL playoffs, we did not hear much from Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson promoting the UFL during the 2024 season.
The first time Military.com reported negatively on the UFL-Army partnership was two days after The Rock made his first two Instagram posts about the Army. Clearly the timing was not a coincidence. That was last the first and last time the Army was mentioned on his Instagram.
Army spokesperson Laura DeFrancisco stated, “We are in the process of working with the UFL to determine the final cost.” An internal review conducted by the Army projects that the partnership may have led to a loss of 38 potential enlistments. This outcome is particularly concerning for the Army, which is currently facing a “historic recruiting crisis,” according to Military.com.
“Army planners use various metrics to judge whether time and money could be better spent in other efforts, and the effort and resources spent on the UFL were seen by the service as a net negative for recruiting.”
The article does point out that the Army spent $80 million in advertising with NASCAR and did not get a single recruit either. Flashy headlines aside, this is more about the Army, no matter how and where they spend advertising money, they are not able to land new recruits. It is not NASCAR or the UFL’s fault on that matter.
We were a bit taking back by this report as UFL News Hub had been hearing things were going well and the Army was looking to reup for year two. We do know both sides were talking towards the last two weeks of the UFL season. It looks like the chatter was more about this and less about coming back in 2025. That remains to be seen.
The UFL-Army partnership aimed to address the challenges of reaching younger generations through traditional marketing tactics. Cable TV-style advertisements have become less effective in connecting with potential recruits. The Army’s decision to partner with the UFL and leverage Johnson’s social media influence was an attempt to adapt to changing media consumption habits among younger demographics. Getting access to Johnsons 396 Million Instagram followers was a key part.
Spokesperson for George, Col. Dave Butler, told Military.com
“In terms of The Rock, it’s unfortunate he was pulled away at a time when we expected him to be present with us to create content for his social media channels. But we’re working with the UFL to rebalance the contract. The Rock remains a good partner to the Army.”
The strangest aspect of this story, that does not add up. Is the three missing Instagram posts. We all do social media, it is not that difficult to post, especially if you have a marketing team. With millions on the line and potential future partnerships, you wonder where Johnson stands with the United Football League.
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