The Armed Forces of Germany, the Bundeswehr, have turned to an unconventional media channel to boost their ranks, namely the late-night Turkish doner kebab shop, the Berliner Kurier has reported.

A German defence ministry spokesperson told the daily that government officials want to reach “not only young people” but also people who are changing careers and skilled workers who may be considering taking on a new profession.

Using kebab packaging, the defence ministry is pursuing a marketing approach that it refers to as “ambient” advertising. Restaurants that volunteer to adopt the packaging receive branded wrappers free of charge.

“One career with everything”

For decades, the German military’s recruitment strategy relied on traditional billboards, university job fairs and glossy broadsheet advertising. Yet Berlin is struggling to meet ambitious Nato troop targets in a Europe that is increasingly militarising. New tactics to reach out are needed.

In kebab outlets throughout Berlin’s Lichtenberg district and beyond, patrons pulling back the grease wrappers are greeted by camouflage-patterned paper printed with a distinct geopolitical pitch.

“Einmal Karriere mit alles” or “One career with everything” reads the slogan, playing on the standard order for a traditional Turkish kebab that comes complete with garlic sauce and red cabbage.

Photo: A Times Now World commentary frames the “PR stunts” used to recruit soldiers as smacking of desperation.

QR code links directly to Bundeswehr

Below the slogan sits a high-density QR code that links directly to the armed forces’ recruitment portal. It currently prioritises understaffed medical and technical personnel units.

Germany’s defence ministry is under pressure to expand the active-duty forces to 260,000 by 2035, up from the 186,705 recorded as of July (the highest figure in 13 years). Concurrently, Berlin aims to double its trained reserve pool to at least 200,000.

However, despite a record-high €100bn special defence fund (Sondervermogen) and a rising national defence budget, the Bundeswehr face a tight labour market that could thwart their ambition.

Guerrilla marketing

Fast-food vendors pay nothing for the branded packaging. They save roughly €30 per batch of 4,000 bags, providing a modest operational margin boost for a small business owner operating in an inflationary environment. In exchange, the defence ministry secures high-frequency visual impressions.

Video: The German Army’s doner wrappers at work.

The initiative is not the military’s first foray into fast-food parlours. Last year, the Bundeswehr deployed branded pizza boxes across southern Germany bearing the pun “Hast Du auch viel drauf?” (“Do you have a lot on you, too?”).

Photo: Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz (left) remains faithful to Berlin’s currywurst sausage, while the country’s army prefers Turkish doner (Credit: Friedrich Merz Facebook page).

In a 2019 advertising campaign, the British Army targeted “snowflakes,” “selfie addicts” and “phone zombies”, as reported by Politico. France two years ago launched a nationwide multimedia recruitment drive, while the Netherlands has been offering young people the chance to spend a paid year in uniform since 2023.