The Marines will air a Super Bowl ad. Could it bring more recruits to Beaufort?

This Sunday, Super Bowl viewers may see a different type of advertisement on their screens: Not just the laugh-out-loud commercials for potato chips or beer, but a Marine Corps recruitment ad.

The 30-second spot shows Marines shooting guns out of aircrafts and plunging into the ocean in amphibious vehicles.

Not everyone will see the ad, though. It will only air on streaming services, which is nearly 85 percent cheaper than the network price, according to the Associated Press.

Plus, the ad aims specifically to target people within the 18-to-24-year-old age bracket — in other words, cord cutters — Maj. Gen. Paul Kennedy, head of the Marine Corps Recruiting Command, told the AP.

This is the first time the Marine Corps has aired an ad during the Super Bowl in 30 years. Analysts expect it will be seen by 20 million viewers.

As unemployment numbers drop, some branches of the military have recently struggled to meet recruitment goals. The Army announced in October it would relax marijuana rules in an attempt to enlist more members.

The Marines have recently encountered their own difficulties, with the Parris Island Marine Corps Recruit Depot in Beaufort County being criticized for its Marine hazing practices after recruit Raheem Siddiqui jumped to his death last March.

The AP reports that the Marine Corps is on track to meet its recruitment goal of 38,000 by September, but the months of February through May are particularly difficult for recruiters.

This story was originally published February 4, 2018 at 10:45 AM with the headline "The Marines will air a Super Bowl ad. Could it bring more recruits to Beaufort?."