Lloyds Banking Group wanted to increase the number of tech engineers it recruited. It already had a successful early careers brand, but needed to build on this with an integrated, multichannel campaign that would challenge candidates’ perceptions of working for a bank. It set three objectives of being a major employer of digital talent, to increase engagement and conversion among a diverse range of candidates, and to maintain and improve its Times Top 100 Employer rankings.

To do this, it developed a holistic creative campaign for apprentices, graduates and postgrads, with its own talented people as the stars. It reconsidered traditional campaign timings and developed an ‘always-on’ approach to maintain relationships with students. Using employees’ inspiring stories and lived experiences, it developed a campaign that would focus on key life points for early talent. ‘Imagine what’s next’ is about taking the anxiety out of big decisions and replacing this with excitement.

The campaign included a hero film tailored to a Gen Z audience, with fast-moving TikTok-style transitions. LBG refreshed its social accounts, recruiting a team of campaign ambassadors and making tech stories the key focus. It then brought tech careers to life through a 12-week hybrid events campaign, including on-campus events, augmented reality and virtual seminars. Its website was made more user-friendly, with landing pages tailored to specific audiences. The campaign achieved all of its objectives, including a significant rise in overall applications and an increase in the proportion of graduate offers accepted by women.