Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s $11 million partnership with the US Army has been deemed a failure, potentially hindering recruitment efforts, according to a report by Military.com.
The Army is seeking to recover its investment, alleging that Johnson did not fulfill his contractual obligation to share a specified number of social media posts during the United Football League (UFL) season. An internal review revealed that the deal resulted in a projected loss of 38 enlistments, as resources allocated to the partnership could have been more effectively used elsewhere.
The contract, signed earlier this year, involved prominent Army branding on UFL player uniforms and during games, with Johnson acting as a spokesperson on social media. With 396 million Instagram followers, each of Johnson’s posts was valued at $1 million. The agreement required him to share five posts promoting the Army throughout the UFL’s inaugural season from March to June.
However, Johnson reportedly only shared two Army-related posts since April. One of these posts featured him with Army generals, including a hug with Gen. Randy George, who had supported the partnership despite internal doubts about its potential success.
Col. Dave Butler, a spokesperson for Gen. George, expressed disappointment over Johnson’s limited participation. “It’s unfortunate he was pulled away when we expected him to create content for his social media channels,” Butler stated. “But we’re working with the UFL to rebalance the contract. The Rock remains a good partner to the Army.”
The documents also highlighted issues with “inexperienced” UFL staff, which led to significant communication breakdowns and additional work for the Army.
Ultimately, Army marketing officials concluded they lacked confidence in the success of future deals with the UFL. They are now seeking to recover $6 million of the $11 million deal. A spokesperson for the Army’s marketing team confirmed they are still negotiating the final cost with the UFL.
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