San Diego - The Marine Corps has launched a multimedia campaign aimed at encouraging more women and minorities to join as officers and ending a decades-old stereotype that the Corps is the domain of white men.

The Marines' "Fighting With Purpose" campaign tracks with the lesson that pundits have drawn from last week's election results: The nation's demographics have changed dramatically.

The campaign, created by the advertising and marketing companies UniWorld Group and JWT, features 1st Lt. Drexel King, a black Marine based at Camp Pendleton near San Diego, and Capt. Monica Meese, a Latina raised in Irvine and based at Joint Base Andrews, Md.

King, an infantry officer, and Meese, a KC-130J pilot, served in Afghanistan. Meese also deployed in support of relief efforts after the 2011 tsunami ravaged Japan.

"Often when people think of Marines, they think of males," Meese said. "I hope the campaign helps shape the Marine Corps to represent our diverse nation."

King, 26, is featured in 30-second commercials that, beginning Thursday, are airing on BET, Nick at Night, MTV, Spike, ESPN, NBA on TNT, and NFL broadcasts. He will also be shown in print ads in Vibe, ESPN Magazine, Diversity Careers, and Sports Illustrated.

Meese, 28, will be featured in those same publications and in a video on the Marines' "Community Impact" page.

In the last fiscal year, 4.7 percent of those joining as Marine Corps officers were black and 8.4 percent were Latino. In the overall force, enlisted and officer, the Marine Corps has 10 percent black and 12.9 percent Latino.

About 7 percent of Marines are women.