The next generation of recruits isn’t watching TV commercials or flipping through magazines – they’re scrolling TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. For the U.S. military and other organizations competing for Gen Z’s attention, traditional advertising has lost its edge. To reach today’s digital-native audience, you need authenticity, relatability, and peer voices they trust. That’s why Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) athletes are quickly becoming the most powerful tool in recruiting Gen Z.
From Visibility to High-Quality Recruits
Our NIL campaigns do more than just build awareness; they attract higher-quality, values-aligned candidates. The success of this strategy starts with our selection process. We partner with student-athletes who are not just talented but are also role models in their communities with strong personal values. By choosing the right messenger, we gain access to their followers—a high-quality audience that is naturally receptive to a message of service and commitment.
When these athletes showcase authentic “day in the life” content, like riding in helicopters or training with soldiers, they provide a relatable and inspiring window into military careers. This approach has two major benefits:
This has two major benefits:
- Recruiters save time by connecting with candidates who are already motivated and aligned with the service’s core values.
- Attracting better-fit candidates leads to lower attrition, which reduces the overall cost per enlistment and boosts ROI.
The New Frontier of Recruiting
The military has already begun leaning into NIL and influencer partnerships—working with athletes like Paige Bueckers, DJ Uiagalelei, and teams like the University of Michigan football program. These collaborations expand visibility, tap into untapped audiences, and show what service really looks like.
As one U.S. Army recruiting spokesperson put it: “By participating in immersive army experiences alongside real soldiers, these influencers provide firsthand insights into military life and the possibilities of army service.”
For Gen Z, recruiting is no longer about big institutional messages or glossy ad campaigns. It’s about relatable, authentic voices showing what service means in real life. NIL athletes embody this shift, delivering unmatched engagement, credibility, and impact.
In a world where ads are skipped and scrolled past, NIL athletes aren’t just an alternative: they’re the future of recruiting.