America’s Obsession with Success

Abstract

There was a time, not that long ago, when a stern, almost glowering Uncle Sam would peer out at American males from beneath a red-white-and-blue striped top hat and declare, “I Want YOU.” This was once an effective means of persuading volunteers to sign up for military service. Not today. Now, even the United States military must promise success, along with glorious future opportunities for self-fulfillment, in appeals for enlistees. Likewise with American breweries. Instead of hawking their particular brand of beer by extolling its virtues—remember when advertising used to claim that Budweiser was “The King of Beers” and Miller “The Champagne of Bottled Beer”? we are now led to believe that certain beverages are the appropriate refreshment for those who have achieved, or are still climbing the ladder toward, success. One Michelob ad campaign of the 1980s explicitly targeted its promotions to success-minded drinkers. Its catch phrase: “You’re on the way to the top.”

Be all that you can be.

U.S. Army recruiting slogan, circa 1984

You can have it all.

Michelob Light advertising slogan, circa 1984