With StatCan indicating one million job vacancies in Canada since the third quarter of 2021, recruiting young workers can require creative thinking to capture their attention. That’s just what Lowe’s Canada brought to its ad campaign to promote working at its stores this spring.
The retailer worked with creative agency Sid Lee to develop a recruitment campaign called “Make Yourself Failproof.” The campaign, which went out in traditional outdoor advertising, web, and social media, was supported by an online exhibition called “The Hall of Fail,” which showcases renovation disasters recreated as works of art.
Research done for the campaign revealed that 88 percent of Gen Z students want to work for employers who give them access to training and growth opportunities. The ads and exhibition were developed to tap into this by providing examples of renovation fails that young people could avoid if they worked at Lowe’s, RONA, or Réno-Dépôt.
Lowe’s Canada is looking to fill 5,000 jobs at its corporate stores nationwide this season. Through this campaign, the company hopes to set itself apart from other employers by focusing on opportunities for growth and learning within its network.
“The fun factor of the campaign was something we could all relate to,” says Jacynthe Prince, director of brand engagement at Lowe’s Canada. But more important, she adds, is to make the idea of applying for a job at a Lowe’s store appealing and inviting, even without having any previous training.
“Humour is important both in advertising and for hiring—and especially with Gen Z. They don’t choose a job with their heads. They choose with their hearts.” The campaign’s message, says Prince, is that Lowe’s stores will provide a place to work where they can have fun and learn.
(Click here to see the epic fail by our own Michael McLarney as he tried to assemble some IKEA furniture!)
