neller marines 2
General grilled over Marine nude photo scandal
02:39 - Source: CNN

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The ads feature women in combat fatigues and on the battlefield

The Corps is dealing with the fallout over a massive nude photo scandal

CNN  — 

The Marine Corps has released a new ad campaign emphasizing the Corps’ diversity – as well as its openness to female Marines.

The campaign’s release comes as the branch is dealing with the fallout over a massive nude photo scandal.

Featuring TV ads and online videos that portray Marines as a diverse force of elite warriors and involved members of the community, the “Battles Won” campaign also comes at a time when the Corps is trying to boost its recruitment numbers, particularly with women.

The ads feature women in combat fatigues and on the battlefield, a detail that was often absent in past Marines Corps recruitment material.

However, according to the Marines, the ads are not aimed at a particular demographic other than those of recruiting age.

“‘Battles Won’ is a brand idea that taps into the irreducible essence of the Marine Corps, which is the fighting spirit of the Marine,” said Marines spokesman Gunnery Sgt. Justin Kronenberg.

“Being a Marine means being willing to engage and defeat opposing forces, whether personal or on behalf of our nation and its communities,” he said.

The Corps has reportedly been working on the new branding for months. But its rollout coincides with the Corps’ investigation into the posting of nude photos of female Marines without their permission, a scandal that has marred the public image of the branch.

During his testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee earlier this week, Marines Commandant Gen. Robert Neller admitted that the photo scandal could further hurt female recruiting, but reassured lawmakers of his commitment to identifying the underlying issues in military culture that caused this to happen and whether new service members understand that such behavior is unacceptable.

The Marines Corps currently has the lowest percentage of women out of all the US military branches, at just 8%. Last year, Neller told lawmakers his goal is to raise that number to 10%.