To help encourage fresh, diverse talent to consider a career in advertising, the IPA has launched a new campaign in partnership with TikTok.

The campaign, which was created with TikTok for business, features popular TikTok creators Benjy, Walid, Hannah Beau and Abbie Blyth, matched with five top advertising agencies across the UK. The agencies featured are Havas in London, VCCP in London, VMLY&R in London, Wavemaker North in Manchester and Leith in Edinburgh. Following the content creators’ visits to the agencies they will be tasked with developing a series of TikTok videos that bring to life the type of roles that exist within the agencies, the agencies’ cultures and the range of opportunities on offer. 

The videos will then direct those watching to join ‘Step into Adland’, an open day which takes place on the 1st November. Any individual over 18 is being invited to apply to experience agency life in one of the profiled agencies, to see if it appeals as a career option.

The content has been designed to lift a lid on the opportunities that Adland has to offer in the hopes of attracting new, diverse talent to the industry. Where ironically one of the industry’s biggest challenges is advertising itself and showcasing the wide range of careers available to a diverse range of talent. This TikTok first approach serves to challenge existing recruitment methods and open up the industry to a host of young people. 

“As the latest IPA TouchPoints data shows, with over half of 16-24s using TikTok - and for the best part of two hours a day - I believe there is no better way to reach an audience that wouldn’t necessarily come across our industry let alone consider a career with us than by teaming up with them and their influential content creators. In doing so, we hope to build a more diverse workforce that will expand horizons, offer new perspectives and grow our businesses.” says IPA President and GroupM CEO EMEA and the UK, Josh Krichefski.

The initiative draws on the success of the established IPA Advertising Unlocked programme; an annual cross-industry open day, where hundreds of agencies welcome in around a thousand school children to give them an in-depth understanding of ad agency life.

“The IPA Advertising Unlocked programme has been incredibly effective in supporting young people taking their first step into the world of advertising, and we’re incredibly happy to be able to play a part in expanding this programme through Step Into Adland,” added Kris Boger, General Manager, TikTok UK.

He continued: “Creators are the lifeblood of TikTok, so being able to work with them, the incredible agencies - who volunteered their time, office spaces and people, and the IPA all for such a positive cause has been a thoroughly rewarding experience and one we hope we can replicate in the future to continue to address a challenge that affects us all.”

The Step into Adland partnership with TikTok was initiated by former IPA President and VCCP's International CEO and Vice-Chairman Julian Douglas, It has been developed by current IPA President Josh Krichefski to push forward his presidential agenda to further expose the breadth of opportunities in adland to attract talent.

As the initiative grows, the IPA hopes to increase the number of agencies participating to be able to chart the careers of those who pursue careers in the advertising agency business as a result of taking part.

The campaign and organic content will roll out on TikTok from this week onwards with the ads appearing on Tik for Business @tiktokforbusiness, and the fuller organic content on the IPA’s TikTok channel @the__ipa.

With the industry facing a talent crisis, this campaign is an example of how broadening strategies and meeting talent in places not typically considered for recruitment such as TikTok can serve to reach new talent and diversify the industry’s workforce.