The Department for Education has kicked off the new year with a campaign designed to inspire young people, adults and businesses to reach their full potential.

The thought provoking spot, which starts with the voiceover: ‘Everyone has got potential, but it will remain just that unless you act on it”, encourages more people and employers to take advantage of the wide range of technical qualifications and training opportunities available to progress careers and grow businesses.

The multichannel campaign targets three key audiences: young people aged 14 to 19 and their influencers (such as teachers and parents), SME employer decision-makers and employees, and adults aged 24 to 59.

The motivating 40-second film is directed by Vincent René-Lortie, through The Corner Shop and shows three individuals starting a new day, as a metaphor for their untapped potential, before following their journeys as they take their first steps to learning new skills.

Talent featured in the emotive campaign includes real people who are just starting out, looking to switch or considering switching careers or looking to grow their business through a range of technical qualifications, training and skills.

The campaign will run across TV, video-on-demand, cinema, out-of-home, social, audio, and digital channels, as across partnership activity. Media planning is by SMRS, and media buying is by OmniGov at MGOMD.

M&C Saatchi has also developed a series of out-of-home and social executions, using dynamic advertising techniques to change messages according to the time of day or day of the week, prompting people to reflect on the importance of seizing the day.

Chloe Saklow, Deputy Director of Workforce Recruitment,  Brand and Customer, Department for Education, explained: “Learning new skills has the power to truly transform lives and businesses. It is one of the greatest ways to empower oneself and unlock potential. It is crucial for people to be aware of the incredible and wide-ranging technical courses and qualifications available. Equally important is instilling a belief in the positive impact these opportunities can have.”

Guy Bradbury, Creative Partner, M&C Saatchi, added: “We’ve created a campaign that fires a starting pistol for people, provoking them to think about what they could achieve with new skills. We chose to use the start of a new day to represent a blank slate and untapped potential, with a powerful voice-note narrative to connect with our audiences on an emotional level, and a cast including real people to create greater authenticity.”

A powerful reminder at a time of year when the start of those new days are often dark, to remember to shine a light on the truth that everyone has untapped potential. This campaign is an important reminder to actually do something with it.