Tomorrow is Veterans Day – a national celebration honoring the patriotism, courage, and sacrifice of America’s veterans. I salute them all. But today? That belongs to the United States Marine Corps.
Today, November 10th, marks the 250th birthday of the Marine Corps. A quarter of a millennium. A milestone few institutions – military or otherwise – can claim. And while plenty of brands love to trumpet “legacy,” the Marines embody it. They are the legacy.
From the outset, the Marine Corps was a brand unto itself. Not a brand in the commercial sense, but in the truest sense – defined by identity, mission, values, and behavior.
Tradition That Transcends Time
Think about our birthday celebration. No other institution does ceremonial tradition like the United States Marine Corps. It’s not performative – it’s purposeful. It’s not marketing – it’s meaning.
Every year, at every base, embassy post, and Marine unit around the globe – whether in dress blues, desert fatigues, or deployed forward – Marines gather to honor the founding of their Corps on November 10, 1775. Central the celebration is the legendary cake-cutting ceremony, where a sword – technically, a Mameluke, the curved sword awarded to Marine Lt. Presley O’Bannon in 1805 – is used to slice the cake with precision and symbolism.
The first piece is presented to the oldest Marine present, who then passes it to the youngest Marine, symbolizing the transfer of knowledge, tradition, and responsibility from generation to generation. It’s a quiet, powerful gesture that captures the continuity and shared legacy of the Corps – reverent, stoic, and rich with meaning.
As part of the ceremony, Marine Corps Order No. 47, issued in 1921 by the 13th Commandant, General John A. LeJeune, is read aloud. The order recounts the founding of the Corps and calls on every Marine to “commemorate the birthday of our Corps by calling to mind the glories of its long and illustrious history.” The words haven’t changed in over a century – and neither has the commitment to honor them. To be clear: this ceremony and its rituals have taken place every single year for 129 years, in war and in peace, in barracks and in battle zones. In branding terms, that’s not just consistency – that’s institutional identity.
And then there’s our dress blues – easily the most recognizable, most respected, and, let’s face it, best-looking military uniform in existence (OK, admittedly I’m prejudiced, but still). The high collar, brass buttons, and crisp silhouette date back to the 19th century. The scarlet stripe down the trousers, known as the blood stripe, honors the officers and noncommissioned officers who died storming Chapultepec Castle during the Mexican-American War in 1847. Every detail – from the eagle, globe, and anchor to the white belt and cover – has a story. And every Marine wearing it becomes part of that story.
(BTW, I often – OK, always – tell the classic Marine Corps story, with a sense of pride and a spirited jab at the other military branches: “The Marines stole the eagle from the Air Force, the anchor from the Navy, and the rope from the Army. . . and on the seventh day when God rested, they overran His perimeter and stole the Globe – and they’ve been running the show ever since!”
Because in the Marine Corps, tradition isn’t nostalgia – it’s the Marine Corps brand. And the brand has always understood that history, symbolism, and ceremony aren’t luxuries. They’re the scaffolding of meaning.
The values are lived. The rituals are respected. And the message is crystal clear: Earned. Never given.
A Brand That Doesn’t Need Gimmicks
While other branches of the U.S. military have recently struggled to meet their recruitment numbers, the Marine Corps continues to stand apart – not just in performance, but in principle.
In fiscal year 2023, both the Army and Air Force missed their active-duty recruitment goals by thousands, despite throwing everything they could at the problem: signing bonuses up to $50,000, two-year enlistment contracts, relaxed physical standards, tuition reimbursement, fast-tracking citizenship, even TikTok and gaming platform outreach. Note: the Navy also met its goal by offering incentives and expanding eligibility waivers.
The Marine Corps? Met 100% of its recruitment goal. No gimmicks. No bonuses. No desperate pivots.
Why? Well, historically, the Marine Corps has maintained higher enlistment standards than the minimum set by the Department of Defense. The service attracts those motivated by the challenge and honor associated with the title, rather than financial incentives. According to Gen. Eric Smith, now Commandant of the Marine Corps, in his Senate address, “We do not ask young men and women to join us, and we do not promise them an easy life. Instead, we challenge them to try out for and earn the privilege to wear the eagle, globe, and anchor”. That the allure of serving as a Marine is a sufficient motivator for recruits, the General saying, “Your bonus is that you get to call yourself a Marine,” and added, “There’s no dollar amount that goes with that.”
The Power of “The Few, The Proud”
It doesn’t hurt that we have one of the best taglines in history: “The Few. The Proud. The Marines.” Developed by the J. Walter Thompson agency in 1977, it was the rare case of a marketing line not just selling an identity – but becoming it. It’s one of the most iconic slogans in military history, so much so that it has a permanent spot on Madison Avenue’s Advertising Walk of Fame. Oh, and Mr. Thompson? The one in “J. Walter?” He was a Marine. Just saying.
Our tagline “The Few. The Proud. The Marines” is so very powerful because it leverages exclusivity, identity, and aspiration – three of the most potent psychological drivers in branding and behavior. And it’s endured for nearly 50 years because it’s both terse and poetic – each phrase is a rhythm, a drumbeat. It challenges the audience: Are you one of the few? Are you proud enough? Can you wear that name? And it frames joining as a calling, not a career path.
The tagline is about becoming a Marine – an archetype of courage, discipline, and elite strength. It’s about transformation, not just a job. That’s why the Corps doesn’t have to rely on gimmicks or bonuses. In three short lines, it communicates everything the brand stands for: elite status, emotional pride, and unshakable identity. It doesn’t sell a benefit – it sells belonging to something greater than yourself.
And if you’ve ever read anything else I’ve written, you’ll know how important I think emotional engagement with a brand can be! BTW, only two other brands come immediately to mind that have the same manifesto-like, cultural totem sense as “The Few. The Proud. The Marines.” – a recruiting filter and identity statement all in one. Those are De Beer’s, “A Diamond Is Forever” and Hallmark’s, “When You Care To Send The Very Best,” both about 80 years old. But Marine Corps branding goes back much further than Madison Avenue.
In 1779 – just four years after the Corps was founded – Captain William Jones placed a recruitment ad in The Providence Gazette that read, “The Continental ship Providence, now lying at Boston, is bound on a short cruise, immediately; a few good men are wanted to make up her complement.” George Washington’s assessment of the Marines still rings true 250 years later: “It is infinitely better to have a few good men than many indifferent ones.” And Marines are never indifferent!
Words, Symbols, and Culture
The Marine brand has also influenced the American lexicon. “Leatherneck,” “Devil Dog,” “Oorah,” “Jarhead,” “Fire Watch,” “SITFU” – these aren’t just military slang. They’re cultural shorthand for toughness, sacrifice, discipline, and honor.
Our motto – Semper Fidelis (“Always Faithful”) – has been in place since 1883. Before that, the Corps used phrases like Fortitudine (“With courage”) and Per Mare, Per Terram (“By sea and by land”). Three mottos over 250 years? That’s not confusion – it’s evolution. Especially when you consider that Coca-Cola and McDonald’s have each cycled through dozens of taglines just since the year 2000. The Marine Corps knows who it is. It doesn’t change tone every quarter. It doesn’t rebrand to chase likes. It stays faithful – to its mission, to its history, and to its people.
Brand, Backbone, and Bedrock
The Marine Corps’ brand is more than marketing. It’s institutional bedrock. It’s the physical embodiment of loyalty, service, and excellence. It’s part of America’s bedrock, a brand voice built not on volume but on quiet power, discipline, and reverence. As the Corps’ official Brand Vision puts it, they are “an institution this country has looked to as its protector for more than 2½ centuries.”
And that’s what real brand equity looks like: living real values, not just aspirations.
A Salute, 250 Years in the Making
So, to the legacy of those few good men – and now women – who have stood the line, fought the fights, and kept the faith for 250 years, we say this: Happy Birthday, Marines.
And in the spirit of the world’s most consistent, most respected, most elite brand in the world: Semper Fi.
Photo by William Rudolph on Unsplash
