USO Launches Brand Campaign Force Behind the Forces

ARLINGTON, VA--(Marketwired - September 27, 2016) - Today, the USO launched Force Behind the Forces, a brand awareness campaign encouraging Americans to stand behind "The Force," as a community of supporters committed to connecting service members to the things they hold dear. Being a Force Behind the Forces means you pledge to demonstrate your appreciation of those who selflessly serve our nation.

The campaign underscores USO's historic mission to connect service members to family, home and country, and simultaneously aims to address the civilian-military drift -- a natural disconnect and lack of understanding between those who have served in the military and those who have never served. It encourages a united American "force" driven to meet the needs of service members and their families, further connecting them to those they protect.

"Our hope is for this campaign to inspire action by showcasing tangible ways the American public can get involved in supporting the one percent who serve and protect," said USO CEO and President J.D. Crouch II. "The Force Behind the Forces is the USO platform to enable a connection between people in our communities, and our military."

J. Walter Thompson Atlanta provided the creative execution for the brand campaign, told through the lens of actual USO supporters. The story arc highlights the intensity of being in harm's way while demonstrating the USO's ability to act as an extended family, with kindness, caring, comfort, compassion, encouragement, support and reassurance, for American service members everywhere.

The release of the 18-month campaign coincides with the USO's 75^th anniversary year and will be featured in television and radio spots, digital and out-of-home ads. The public service advertisement invites Americans to demonstrate their personal commitment to the cause by visiting USO.org/FORCE where they can learn three key ways to become a Force Behind the Force:

Send a Message: Messages of gratitude and thanks collected through Force Behind the Forces will be shared with service members at USO locations around the world. These heartfelt messages from Americans help our men and women in uniform draw strength and feel connected to the country they serve. The USO's goal is to reach 1 million messages of support in its 75^th anniversary year. In addition to sending a message, you can join the social conversation using #BeTheForce to tell us about why or how you are a Force Behind the Force.

Find a USO Location: Finding a local USO center to learn about the programs and services offered to the local military community will help Americans understand the USO mission. This effort helps lessen the civilian-military drift by giving the public an opportunity to join the 30,000 USO volunteers who donate their time to service members and military families at more than 180 USO locations globally.

Give: Donations will support "The Force Behind the Forces: A $7.5 Million Challenge Campaign," a fundraising campaign to increase the USO's global footprint. From Italy to Oklahoma, the Challenge Campaign will increase the number and quality of USO centers, enabling the USO to serve an additional 125,000 service men and women and their family members. The USO's goal of the Challenge Campaign is to raise $7.5 million by the end of 2016.

"We welcome America's support of our nation's fighting force and their families," said USO Senior Vice President of Brand Advancement Paul Allvin. "Awareness is the first step in the process. We know that our service members draw strength from high morale and this campaign is vital to their success at home and abroad."

To learn more about Force Behind the Forces brand campaign visit USO.org/FORCE.

About the USO

The USO strengthens America's military service members by keeping them connected to family, home and country, throughout their service to the nation. At hundreds of locations worldwide, we are united in our commitment to connect our service members and their families through countless acts of caring, comfort, and support. The USO is a private, non-profit organization, not a government agency. Our programs, services and entertainment tours are made possible by the American people, support of our corporate partners and the dedication of our volunteers and staff.

In addition to individual donors and corporate sponsors, the USO is supported by President's Circle Partners: AT&T, the BNSF Railway Foundation, Clark Construction Group, LLC, The Coca-Cola Company, FedEx, Jeep, Johnson & Johnson, Kroger, NFL, Southern New Hampshire University and Four-Star Partners: Advisors Excel, BIC, ConAgra Foods, GEICO, Harris Teeter, Lockheed Martin, Microsoft, Starbucks, TKS, USAA and the Wawa Foundation. We are also supported through the United Way and Combined Federal Campaign (CFC-11381). To join us in this important mission, and to learn more about the USO, please visit uso.org.