The $11 Million Deal Between Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and the US Army Backfires.
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s $11 million partnership with the US Army has been a massive failure, according to a recent report. It appears that this collaboration not only didn’t help but may have actually hindered recruitment efforts for the military branch. The US Army is now trying to recoup its money after claiming that “The Rock” failed to uphold his end of the deal by sharing an agreed-upon number of social media posts during the United Football League (UFL) season, as reported by Military.com.
The Army declared the partnership as a net negative, with an evaluation projecting that it led to a loss of 38 enlistments. The resources tied up in the deal could have potentially been used elsewhere for a more advantageous recruitment outcome, according to an internal review of the plan obtained by the outlet.
Earlier this year, the Army signed a contract with Johnson, a UFL co-owner, that would see prominent Army branding on player uniforms and during games while he acted as a de facto spokesperson for the Army on social media. With 396 million followers on Instagram, each of Johnson’s posts was valued by the Army at $1 million. As part of the agreement, “The Rock” would share five posts elevating the military branch throughout the UFL’s inaugural season from March through June.
However, it is alleged that Johnson failed to uphold his side of the deal, sharing only two Army-related posts since April, according to the documents. One post showed him surrounded by Army generals and hugging Gen. Randy George, who reportedly pushed the partnership through despite internal concerns that it wouldn’t amount to anything.
In terms of The Rock, it’s unfortunate he was pulled away at a time when we expected him to be present with us to create content for his social media channels,” Col. Dave Butler, a spokesperson for George, told Military.com in a statement. But we’re working with the UFL to rebalance the contract. The Rock remains a good partner to the Army.
The documents also pointed to “inexperienced” UFL staff causing numerous breakdowns in communication, leading to the Army to pick up “a significant amount of additional work.” Army marketing officials ultimately ruled that they have a “lack of confidence” that future deals with the UFL can be successful and are now looking to recoup $6 million of the $11 million deal, according to the documents.
A spokesperson for the Army’s marketing team told Military.com that it is still negotiating with the UFL the final cost of the partnership. The United Football League did not respond to The Post’s request for comment.
This catastrophic partnership comes as the Army is in the midst of a historic recruiting crisis. In 2023, the Army drew roughly 50,000 recruits, far below the objective of around 65,000.
