A new Army National Guard marketing campaign challenges young people to see themselves as becoming “uncommon” through part-time service in uniform.

Titled “Uncommon is Calling,” the campaign features five short black-and-white films starring Army National Guard soldiers working in simulated emergency scenarios that depict the types of missions Guard troops are called upon to do, according to an Army news release.

"Many young people are unaware that they can serve in the Army part-time," Brig. Gen. Antoinette Gant, chief of the Army Enterprise Marketing Office, said in the March 17 release. "To bridge this gap, 'Uncommon is Calling' offers youth a new perspective on Army service by presenting the experiences, flexibility and local impact that can only be achieved as part of the Army National Guard."

The main film, titled “Uncommon is Calling,” is 60 seconds and depicts soldiers in their regular civilian jobs while a narrator asks, “Who are you not to be uncommon? Who are you not to be one in a million, a hundred million?” It’s followed by the statement, “Your day job is what you do, but it doesn’t define you.”

Four variations of the same film are 30-second productions, each focusing on the tasks Army National Guard soldiers perform in the nation’s 54 states, territories and the District of Columbia.

In “Turn on the Lights,” soldiers survey damage and restore power to a town hit by disaster; in “Search and Rescue,” soldiers in a Black Hawk helicopter look for and rescue a group of lost hikers on a mountainside; in “Above the Flood,” soldiers navigate a vehicle through flood waters to rescue stranded civilians; and “Combat Ready” spotlights soldiers moving from community protectors to national defenders.

Informed by brands and street posters that appeal to young people, the films’ visuals and distinct typography are designed to reach a new generation of prospective soldiers and showcase how the Army National Guard is distinct from other paths to military service, the release says. 

“By showing the variety of capabilities and extraordinary blend of skills National Guard soldiers can gain through service, we are inspiring the next generation of soldiers who seek exciting challenges, opportunities for growth, and a deep sense of purpose,” Gant said in the release.

Audiences will see "Uncommon is Calling" across a variety of channels and distribution methods, including streaming platforms like MAX, CBS and ESPN, and digital platforms like YouTube, Meta, Reddit, LinkedIn and NationalGuard.com, according to the release.