“The restaurants receive the branded packaging free of charge,” it said.
Germany isn’t the first European country to rethink its military recruitment pitch in recent years: In a 2019 advertising campaign, the British Army targeted “snowflakes,” “selfie addicts” and “phone zombies.” France launched a nationwide multimedia recruitment drive in 2024, and the Netherlands has been offering young people the chance to spend a paid year in uniform since 2023.
The unconventional recruitment strategy comes as Berlin races to expand its armed forces. The Bundeswehr counted 186,705 active troops at the end of July — its highest level in 13 years — but aims to reach more than 260,000 by 2035 to meet NATO capability targets.